Remnant: The Land of Monsters and Men
by Samnamikaze23
Summary: They thought they were remnants of a world long gone, they thought that the world through the Grimm had shown its worst, they were wrong. Uzumaki Naruto, once a person of pure heart, now wages war upon Remnant, stopping at nothing till it broke apart. Maybe they were right; that what some people really want, is to watch the world burn.
1. Dispatch

_**DISPATCH**_

Uzumaki Naruto deep in the shadows watched the river flow, the half-moon's reflection sparkling atop its waters, and from its darkness the creature emerged. Despite his training, despite discovering the crossing the creatures used to harass the nearby village, the Hunter aspirant felt his confidence falter.

"Just like I learned." The sixteen year old whispered as it swarm towards him, its eyes gleaming red. He could only see the top of its head, a brief stroke of its arms, and the curve of its spine. Every inch was covered by a toxic black miasma that shone slick in the moonlight. One of the Grimm's strokes pushed its head fully above water, and he saw rows of teeth before they sank below. It was the same teeth that had devoured two children and their mother two nights before.

Water dripped from its long claws as it stepped upon the shore. It was those claws that had torn the entrails from their bodies so it might feed.

Konohagakure Academy was stationed on a continent surrounded by Vacuo, Vale and Atlas. Just like Beacon, Haven and the other academies stationed at the other four continents, Konohagakure Academy was stationed in the Continent of Fire and was known to produce many reputable Hunters that etched themselves in history as legends.

Unlike the simple procedures undertaken by Beacon Academy, Konoha was known to be more practical in its approach. There were three steps encountered for an individual intending to become a Shinobi, and it required exams whose difficulty increased with each level.

 _Genin, Chunin, and Jonin._

With the achievement of the jonin, the person, was then qualified to be a shinobi, a term equivalent to a Hunter in the other continents.

Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were part of Team Seven. A random numerical designation indicating the position during their dispatch.

The jonin exams involved sending each team to a village ravaged by the Grimm and with the aim of eliminating the cause. And it was getting tougher by the moment.

The Continent of Fire was said to be the location for the first Grimm outbreak and since then, the continent had been ravaged more than the others by the threat of the Grimm.

Vicious creatures, led forth by their killing intent and drawn by negative emotions, the continent had no choice but to boost up the training of its recruits.

The other continents had frowned upon their methods of training, but the Kingdom paid no heed, the safety of the people at the fore-front.

Although, the reputation of Konoha was not held in high regard, the quality of Hunters from their continent proved otherwise.

The Grimm approached on two legs, its body hunched, and its muscles taut and frightening. Naruto always wondered how useful his body armor would hold against the sharp teeth and claws of the Grimm. With or without his armor, he was certain his head would be separated from his shoulders rather easily.

He had to be careful here, he had to be cautious.

He watched from the cover of the trees that grew to the water's edge, his hand tightening around the handle of his kunai. Slung upon his back was a shield, his mother's.

The creature stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, before continuing along, only at a slower pace.

Naruto knew that stealth wouldn't work against a creature with such keen senses. This wasn't a normal Grimm. For a moment he considered an ambush, but it was plain that the Grimm could smell him and so there was no element of surprise to be had. Naruto figured that he might as well face the Grimm head on.

And with that, he stepped out from the trees.

The Grimm turned, and even with its hunched back, it still towered over him. Naruto's kunai in his hand shook as those glowing red eyes narrowed when meeting his own.

Despite his fear, Naruto Uzumaki, the heir of the Uzumaki Clan, stepped forward, now only a few feet from the creature.

His shield glowed slightly as Naruto stilled his face.

"Leave now." Naruto said. "This village is under my protection, and I will kill you if I must."

The Grimm laughed to Naruto's stunned silence. This was new.

The Grimm's body shook as dark cackles emerged from its mouth. Its voice was deep and gravely. Naruto slipped his left arm back, grabbing the leather straps holding his shield. A single tug and he'd have it at the ready.

" **You want us imprisoned in the forest?** " The Grimm spoke to Naruto's shock, referring to the vast land beyond the river. From what he had heard, the Grimm never spoke. This was completely shocking.

" **You wish us to starve and die. But there is food here, human. Food!** "

It lunged, accompanied by a thunderous roar. Naruto's years of training paid off as he stepped to the side, avoiding its charge. His kunai then connected with its chest, but hit so much muscle and hair it only tore free a small chunk of flesh. The Grimm's claws slashed his chest, scraping the metal armor Naruto had on with a horrific screech.

Naruto went for a strike again, this time aiming for the head. The Grimm moved with amazing speed for its size, ducking underneath the attack and then grabbing Naruto's wrist.

Naruto grit his teeth at the motion and thought quickly. If he wasted time, his hand would be crushed by the beast before him.

With greater strength, the Grimm clutched Naruto's wrist and held his weapon back, leaving the Uzumaki defenseless. Its drooling teeth snapped inward, aiming for his neck.

Naruto quickly pulled the straps. Down came the shield, its steel shining a soft blue as he cried out in defiance. The Grimm's teeth snapped against it, and he felt his arm jolt at the contact. The Grimm howled, blood spurting from its nose.

"Back!" Naruto yelled out, ramming with his shield. His heart hammered in his chest, and his eyes felt wide as saucers, but he'd survived the initial confrontation. The light of his shield grew, its power equivalent to the strength of his will.

He had never faced a Class III Grimm before, and from the way the Grimm of the Fire Continent was touted to be more evolved than the ones in the neighboring Kingdoms, he was certain he was in for a fight.

Why he didn't race back to alert his teammates was that he needed this. He needed to prove himself. And he wasn't going to fall here.

The Grimm howled, releasing his wrist, instead opting to protect its eyes from the light. With it dazed and on the defensive, Naruto tried to finish it off. His Kunai came in for the side of its head, but his eyes widened as the Grimm batted his hand aside with an arm, howled, and then attacked.

The muscles in his legs were powerful, and it closed the distance with such speed he didn't have time to brace himself.

The creature shoved aside Naruto's poorly positioned shield and then rammed into his chest. Naruto flew back several feet, halting when he hit a tree. The air blasted from his lungs, and his vision swam from where his head struck the bark. Blood trickled down his neck.

" **Your towers stop nothing,** " said the Grimm as it stalked toward him, blood from its nose dripping across its teeth. " **We come to feast boy, and we are greater than you humans, constantly and endlessly evolving. We are not dogs, we are not pests. You cannot stop us.** "

 _W…We? There are more of it?!_

Naruto held his kunai and shield before him, but his legs felt rubbery. He tried to focus, to anticipate the attack, but all he could do was stare at those red eyes and wonder how painful his death might be.

Would he be alive when it ate him? His weight leaned against the tree, staring forward with determination. He vowed to fight until the Grimm had no choice but to lop off his head. He wasn't going to use his semblance here. He was going to fight it straight on and win.

The Grimm growled. " **You're one persistent brat.** "

"Come on!" Naruto roared in defiance. The Grimm crouched down, preparing another lethal charge. But instead of leaping, it tilted to the side, and a pained howl escaped its throat. Dark fire swarmed across its body and blood soon followed.

It turned to run, one of its legs twisted at an awkward angle, but then a sword punched through its skull.

Naruto's eyebrow twitched and he saw the culprit. His armor was dark, the fire of his blades darker, so when Uchiha Sasuke pulled his sword out from the Grimm's skull, he seemed a shadow darker than night itself.

"You piece of shit."

Sasuke smirked. "Hmm. I guess you owe me."

"Don't give me that crap." Naruto scowled, walking across the earth till he was right in front of the sixteen year old Uchiha. He pointed to the dead Grimm.

"That was mine!"

"And you were wasting time trying to take it on one on one." Sasuke folded his arms to Naruto's fury. "I got tired of waiting."

Naruto held the arrogant Uchiha's gaze for a while. "You were following me."

"You didn't know, and neither did the Grimm."

Naruto suddenly felt ashamed for showing his weakness before his rival, but didn't give the dark haired Uchiha the satisfaction.

He touched the wound that was on his head due to his battle but found that it was healed. The two turned and looked at the carcass.

"Do you still think the villagers are liars?" Naruto asked.

"Of course, but not about this. Even liars tell the truth from time to time."

Naruto just scoffed at the comment.

Sasuke just let out a chuckle. He shook the crusted remains of blood off his weapon and then sheathed it. With its fire extinguished, it seemed Naruto could see easier in the darkness.

"It's merely truth Naruto. I see the world as it is, you as how you want it to be. Doesn't take a scholar to know which of us will be right more often."

"Did you see more of them?" Naruto asked, ignoring his comment.

"I heard more, deeper into the forest. It could be four or five or five hundred. I suppose I should have left it alive long enough to question…"

As Sasuke trailed off, so did Naruto's attention. He looked at the remains of the Grimm. Again, another distinction from the Grimm of the outside world was that these didn't just dissipate, they just remained as carcasses as if they were mere animals. There were rumors that the Grimm could possess the living animals, but they were just rumors.

The townspeople were scared, and surely the sight of the vanquished culprit of the horrific murders would help calm them.

However, he also thought about the other side of the river – deeper into the forest, where the Grimm were known to reside. Perhaps more information would be helpful.

With Sasuke at his side, they could gather important clues about the nature of the threat.

"Where's Sakura?"

"She headed back."

Naruto looked in thought. "Hmm."

"So, what do we do? We did the job, we killed the Grimm responsible. By all justification, we passed."

Naruto looked across the river.

"But there are more, deeper into the forest. We need to return to the village, I don't like the way the villagers are deflecting. We get answers and then we move for their pack. We need to end this."

"Into their territory? Are you insane?" said Sasuke with an arched eyebrow. "I've never considered you Uzumaki to be wise. Always hardheaded and too riled up, but still, I figured you would at least have more sense than that."

Naruto winked at Sasuke.

"If they are crossing the river to hunt, they mustn't be that far." He crouched to observe the carcass. "We have to make sure they are safe."

Sasuke shook his head at the remains at their feet. "They've killed only four people. And we've taken care of the culprit. We can't go our way and begin killing every Grimm in this Kingdom. That's a fool's errand. This was a lone hunter, nothing more."

Naruto frowned and looked to Sasuke. "If we leave them another 'lone hunter' would eventually come and try to take advantage again. We need to see this through."

Sasuke sighed. "Where's Sakura when you need her. Fine," Naruto smirked as the Uchiha concluded. "Let's get this corpse over to the town. At least we agree that it'll calm them down."

The blond nodded. "Let's be on then."

…

The Academy loomed before him, looking tall and proud in the twilight. As the sun continued to fall, an uneasy fear set over him. Spider webs of cracks stretched higher and higher throughout the Academy's foundation. Fire burst upon the grass around it. Bones fell from the sky. As a great roar shook the plains, he heard a terrible crack, and then-

Naruto's eyes snapped open. His heart pounded in his chest. Despite the chill of autumn, his body was soaked in sweat.

 _Again?_ He wondered as he tried to calm his breath. _It's getting more and more vivid. What does it mean?_

For the past week, he'd had the same dream, and always it felt like it ended unfinished. Dread settled over him every morning, and every time, he had the feeling to go back to Konoha. To make sure that the Academy was alright.

But with the Town of Wave threatened by Grimm sneaking out from the forests and across the river to feed, he couldn't leave, even though he knew that if they returned to the village, they would pass the test.

But his mother always told him to see things through to the end, to stick to his guts, and to be unwavering in his decisions. And he was going to live by that.

As his senses slowly returned, he realized what day it was and groaned, He stayed in a small room of Hayashi Shou, the town's wealthiest occupant, the room given freely in exchange for protecting them from the various menaces of the wild. They were far from the great Village of Konoha and her guards, patrols and roads. Here there were outlaws, bandits and now, Grimm.

He stepped out of the room and headed down to note Sasuke and Sakura discussing over a meal.

Haruno Sakura blinked at his form and arched an eyebrow. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Huh?" He looked to Sasuke who pointed to his hair and Naruto let out a grimace. Completely exhausted from the day before, he failed to wash off the blood that had now caked over his yellow spiky hair.

Letting out a chuckle in an attempt to clear the building angered woman, Naruto wasn't surprised when Sasuke had other ideas.

"The smartass over there decided to face a Type III Grimm _man to man_."

Sakura looked in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Yup." Sasuke nodded as Naruto scowled at the Uchiha. "I had to save his ass again."

"I had it all under control!" Naruto retorted before shutting up as Sakura stood up.

 _Oh boy._

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh just calm down Sakura. I would've been okay."

"Okay? You obviously are insane, if you think you can just get up and fight a Grimm that is obviously physically stronger than you."

"How else can I get stronger?" Naruto countered. "I have to do these things Sakura, to know my limits, to know what I need to do to get stronger. I mustn't rely on my semblance every time."

Sakura's eyebrow just twitched. "Just because you can self-heal doesn't mean you can just go around taking risks like that. Not now of all times. Can you do that when we pass the jonin exams? You can kill yourself then."

Naruto looked at her dryly. "Wow, feeling the concern right there."

Sakura rolled her eyes and sat back down as Naruto moved to the sink.

"Fine, you've made your point." The water from the tap poured out as Naruto began to wash his hair. "Oh yeah, how did Kaiza take the news?" He asked, referring to the father and husband of those killed by the Grimm.

"Come." said Sakura to Sasuke's grimace. "I'll show you."

Sasuke closed his eyes and let out a sigh of resignation before following the pink haired student.

Naruto just blinked at the tense atmosphere and shrugged before picking up a loaf of bread, taking a mammoth bite out of it, and quickened his steps. "Wait up!"

Together they walked down the dirt path, out from the village center. Wood houses sprang up on either side of them, fairly large due to abundance of nearby wood. At the end of the path was a post marking the entrance to the village. Hanging from ropes tied to its wrist was the body of the Grimm.

In daylight it looked less fearsome. Its fur had dried out, much of it caked with blood and dirt. Flies buzzed about it, and it stank of something unholy. All of its teeth were gone, and along its chest were at least twenty punctures new to Naruto.

Evidently, the villagers had mutilated the corpse. Naruto had always lived by his father's example, respect for the dead, particularly those who had been intelligent creatures. This wasn't respect. This was desecration.

"What happened?"

"Sasuke happened." Sakura spoke in anger to which Sasuke didn't reply. "I swear it's like you dumbasses decide on what to do without talking as a team."

"Sasuke."

Sasuke shifted his gaze to look at Naruto, only to note his stern expression. He had to admit, at times, Naruto was capable of making him nervous.

They were kids sure, but from the way they were taught at the academy, they looked differently to the world, and this was a reason why the neighboring Kingdoms frowned upon their methods.

The children weren't children.

Naruto thought on the new development. Could he blame the villagers for venting their grief upon the Grimm? Either way, Sasuke had allowed it to happen.

"You let Kaiza mutilate the corpse?" Naruto asked, though he already knew the answer. He just hoped he might somehow be wrong.

"Do you know a better way to move on after the death of a loved one?" Sasuke asked lifting an eyebrow while Naruto clenched his fist. "This," Sasuke pointed to the corpse. "Is his beloved's killer, and though it is dead, I still gave him a chance to exact his revenge. It accomplishes nothing, and after a while, Kaiza has learned this as well. So I told him to take its teeth, and fashion a necklace so he might never forget."

"Kaiza is not like that!" Naruto yelled out to Sasuke's narrowed gaze. The Uzumaki felt his stomach turn as he made his way to Sasuke's front. "He was someone who wouldn't raise a hand to someone who stole from him, who fought against him! The rest of the village wouldn't care if it was them! He was the one kind soul in this town, why did you-"

"Because he spoke to me of wanting to die!" Sasuke retorted yanking Naruto closer to both his and Sakura's shock. "Would you counsel him love and forgiveness for the beast that ate his family?!" Sasuke asked with his eyes blazing red. "Would you promise him a better life in the world he wants to kill himself to enter?! I gave him a desire for vengeance, and through that, a desire to live." Sasuke scoffed. "You would have him remember his loved ones. Instead, I have him remember their murderer, and as long as he thinks of it, he is not wallowing in sorrow for himself and his family!"

Naruto snarled. "He isn't you!"

Sasuke grit his teeth. "What did you-"

"Hey calm down you both! I've heard enough of this shit!"

Sakura placed her hands between them and separated them effortlessly, sending them staggering backwards.

Sasuke looked to her, his eyes narrowing.

"Sakura this doesn't concern-"

"Let me speak!" She spoke fiercely, silencing him. "Every single time you find a chance to go at each other's throats, and you don't know how you keep pushing each other to the brink, without realizing it. We are teammates, first and foremost!" She spoke looking at them. "Now you sort your shit out and we decide on what to do."

Naruto had calmed down, Sakura's words having an effect on him. Sasuke just scoffed.

"Kaiza has requested along with a group of men to go into the forest." He said to Naruto's shock. "They want us to go with them."

"You are agreeing to this."

"I gave him a chance at revenge. Do you think I'd abandon him after that? Question is, will you still come with us? I never am certain with you, despite the fact that you were the one to suggest it."

"I was going to protect them, not for revenge."

"What will you do now?"

Naruto clenched his fist. He glanced to the town, trying to decide. He hated revenge, because it twisted the friend before him to be something he hardly recognized anymore. Deep down, he was against it, but he knew, the entire safety of Wave depended on their success.

If something went wrong, many lives would be in danger. Could he turn his back on them?

"I don't like it," Naruto said. "But perhaps it should be done."

Sasuke nodded his head, Sakura not needing to say anything.

"I know we disagree on a lot, but, they are just monsters." Sasuke tried to make his point. "Filthy, vicious beasts. You know that more than anyone."

Naruto didn't comment to that. Sasuke continued while walking away. "We'll put them down, just like any other rabid animal."

"Any other animal huh."Naruto muttered as Sakura looked to him in concern.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Naruto sighed looking to Sasuke in the distance. "I worry for him you know?"

She just smiled and gave a pat to his back. "That's why we are here." She looked to him. "What are you going to do?"

Naruto bit his lip and sighed. "I don't know, you?"

"I'd follow him." She spoke. "Someone has to look after you two y'know. Sometimes you're level headed when he's not, and vice versa."

"Seems you're the more level headed one among us. We're just clumsy idiots."

Sakura just laughed out and hit his back. "Go see Kaiza and try see things from his point of view, maybe it'll help you decide." She looked to the strung up carcass and let out a sad smile.

"You know, for some reason, I pity it."

Naruto looked to her and nodded his head.

"Yea."

…

Naruto trudged back to the village. The streets were barren, for with autumn speeding by, the men and women were harvesting every bit of nut, fruit and grain they could find or grow.

Needing to talk to Kaiza, he found the man's home, and sure enough, he was there instead of out in the fields with the others.

"Morning, Naruto." Kaiza said. He sat on his porch in a small chair, his shoulders stooped and his leathery skin pale. His eyes had a glazed, distant look to them. On his lap, he had a necklace of teeth.

"Morning Kaiza."

"I never thanked you for killing the Grimm."

"It's no problem." Naruto waved it away as Kaiza let out a chuckle.

"You know, it always creeps me out."

"What?"

"The fact that you don't look a day over sixteen. But still, what you have achieved, many of us in this town cannot aim to comprehend. What exactly are you taught there?"

Naruto closed his eyes. _How to kill monsters._

"I can't talk about that." Naruto supplied. "I noticed you aren't picking up the Harvest lie the others, something wrong?"

"Sure is."

"Care to share?"

Kaiza looked at him as his fingers worked over the sharp edges of the teeth.

"Sasuke said you were going to try and talk me out of going."

"I'm only here to listen."

"He said you'd say that too, but you'd be lying."

Naruto simply replied. "I don't lie."

Kaiza grunted and looked away. He cut himself on one of the teeth, but his he felt it, he didn't let it show. Faint smears of blood started to spread across the yellow and white.

"I heard her screaming," Kaiza said. "I'd gone outside to piss, you know. That's all. And then, as I'm coming back, I hear her screaming. Just Tsunami, not my little girls or my boy. Do you think that means they died quicker? Maybe in their sleep? It didn't… It didn't…"

Tears rolled down his face.

Determined to remain true to his word, Naruto kept silent, letting the man say what he needed to say.

"It didn't even eat them, only my wife. Killed them for no reason, that fucking wolf! But Tsunami was alive when he was…eating. And it left me alive too, just looked at me and laughed. That damn thing laughed. I don't know if the one you killed was the one that came here. I'll never know. But I'll kill every last one I can find and hope each one is that bastard. And I'll laugh every time I kill one, Naruto."

Naruto closed his eyes as tears seeped, trying to find his composure. Should he just offer his condolences, or support Kaiza's desire for revenge in hopes of boosting his courage.

Rather, he made his decision. A third decision.

"I'm sorry." Naruto said. "But this isn't right, and you know it. The Grimm that slew your family is dead."

Naruto was slightly startled at the rage that burned in Kaiza's eyes.

"How could you ever hope to understand me?!" He roared out. "You are just a kid! Nothing more!" He scoffed. "Sasuke was right about you!"

Naruto clenched his fist.

"You think I care about what's right? I've lived right my whole life, and look what it got me! Someone ought to do something, so I will. No one else needs to see what I saw, and there isn't anything you can say to convince me otherwise!"

Naruto stepped back. He felt helpless, overwhelmed by the man's grief. What could he tell him? That there was a deity that worked in mysterious ways? That it was her time, her fate to have her belly shredded, her flesh ripped and swallowed while she was still screaming?

He was utterly helpless. And this was reminding him of a similar situation with Sasuke.

"My father and mother were killed by the Grimm." Naruto muttered out, earning the man's attention. He looked to the skies from Kaiza's porch, noting the beautiful clouds brought out by the sun.

"They went for a mission, a mission that dealt with multiple Class VI Grimm. Something happened, something that the leaders don't want to tell me. But I was home that day, waiting for them when I was told."

Naruto clenched his fist. "And at that moment, I felt so much rage to the point that I could burn down the world and not feel a thing. There's one thing my father always said." Naruto smiled at the nostalgic memory.

"Sometimes you have to be a monster to protect the ones you love. But there are people who don't deserve that. That's why we attend the academy, for us to be the monsters. So that you can live in the comfort of your home. He always said that to me, and that is something I carry with myself to this day."

Kaiza looked to him, not saying a word.

"I never wanted to rush out to go and kill every single one of them, but I respected my parents and signed up for the Academy, because I wanted to continue their work. The outside world wouldn't understand, because what we deal with, here in the Continent of Fire is beyond their understanding."

Naruto turned and looked to him.

"Right now, a hundred thoughts are swirling in my head, but one thing keeps coming out of all of it. I wouldn't let what happened to me and you happen again to anyone, as long I have a say in it. I know I can't stop you, and you have already accepted that you could die doing this,"

Naruto began to walk away as Kaiza looked to him.

"Where are you going?"

"My armor and shield are waiting for me in my room. There is a reason I carry them with me, a reason every one of us yearns to be Hunters, and this is one of it." Naruto stopped outside the house.

"Come dusk, I'd join you and the rest, and come night, I'd venture into the forest with you all,"

Naruto turned and looked at a shocked Kaiza with red eyes that had a slit down the middle.

"… **To the land of men and monsters.** "

…


	2. The Forest

_**THE FOREST**_

Kaiza looked from the distance to note a man, Gari, kissing his wife to ease her protesting and clenched his fist.

"I'll come back, I promise," he said, his hands brushing through her long hair.

Gari knew she wanted to believe him, but her tears fell all the same, and he wiped one away with his thumb.

"You better," she said.

Taking his sword, he left his home and walked to the town center. Fifteen men gathered there, a third of them holding torches. The rest held knives, pitchforks, and the occasional sword. They surrounded Kaiza, who lifted a torch high above his head.

"It means a lot," Gari heard him saying as he neared. "Can't tell you all just how much, but it does. My Tsunami would be damn proud, I do know that. We can't let anyone else get hurt."

"Damn straight," shouted another man named Shinzu, the closest thing Wave had to a blacksmith. "We aren't sheep for them to hunt!"

Kaiza shifted his head in the negative. "But you are sheep!" With his rise in tone, everyone's attention was turned to him. "Sheep! That is, until you take up arms, as you have! This land belongs to the strong. It is weakness that lets men ignore the dangers about them, causes them to remain quiet in the face of injustice, to turn a blind eye to the chaos of the world!"

The people began to nod as their morale kept rising with every syllable of his words.

"Tonight!" Kaiza cried out, looking with conviction into each and every one of their eyes. "You do more than make Tsunami proud. Tonight you do yourselves proud, your families…" Kaiza shared a brief gaze with Gari whose face stilled. "…and your entire village! Let the Grimm fear our wrath!"

The rest cheered and Gari followed suit. He still clung to his daughter in his arms, his only child in her second year, and he keenly felt the call for strength and pride.

His sword shook in his hand, but it was from excitement, not fear.

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura watched from the distance. Sasuke was spotted with a grin on his face while Naruto looked impassively.

"What do you say now, Naruto?"

"They'll die, and it'll be your fault."

"That's what you see." He spoke. "What I see," Sasuke looked on with a smirk. "…is that they'd never be afraid of the Grimm, never again."

"To the river!" Kaiza cried out, and the rest took up the call.

"To the river!"

Gari followed, imagining the cheer he'd receive if he were to slay a Grimm. Kaiza insisted there would be one or two nearby, three at the most. With the group of them, plus Sasuke at their front, they would crush any of the monsters they encountered.

Shinzu, their blacksmith, always liked to brag about the time he beat down two men from the neighboring village unarmed, but who could top the bravery of him facing down a Grimm and plunging his blade through its eye?

At the town's edge, Naruto slipped into the group beside Gari, remaining at the back. His body armor made Gari feel naked in his simple farmer's clothing.

"Coming with us?" Gari asked Naruto, unable to contain his excitement. With the shinobi with them, they were going to end this. "That's great. The Grimm don't stand a chance now."

Naruto glanced down to his breastplate, and Gari saw the thick scratches across its front, dulling the shine. Some of his excitement faded, replaced with a cold fear in his belly.

"I pray that they don't." Naruto said.

They arrived at the river. Shinzu had agreed to let them take his boat, which he used for a rare trip south to sell extra crops to the shinobi patrol close to the Capital. It seated four, but only Sasuke and two others crossed the first time not wishing to overload it because of the weapons and heavy armor. Back and forth the boat went, taking several minutes for each trip. The river was wide and slow, its waters cold from the mountains streams that fed it.

Gari hung back with Naruto, feeling safer at his side.

"We'll be able to kill them, won't we?" He asked as his nerves continued to grow. He felt fine when moving, as if filled with a sense of purpose, but now that he stood at the edge of a dark forest, watching a small boat travel back and forth across the river, he felt his confidence falter.

"Sasuke and I killed one by ourselves," The sixteen year old blond said, smiling at him. "And with all of you here, we can handle many more. But do not hope for combat, nor a chance to be a hero. Pray that we all come home safe, and that your village will never see another one of those wicked creatures for many, many years."

Gari shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He was considerably older that the teen next to him, but still, it seemed he had seen more, learnt more than he ever had. For a moment, he wondered what it meant to be a shinobi.

"It must be hard."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

"Being a shinobi."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm not one yet."

"But still." Gari spoke, shifting uncomfortably on his feet, while staring at the leaf-strewn ground. "The things you must have seen. I know we probably will lose a couple here. I just don't want to be a coward."

Naruto placed a hand on the older man's shoulder, and when Gari looked over, his eyes were kind and unafraid.

"I think I know you well enough, Gari, to say there isn't the slightest chance of that." Naruto looked ahead and pointed to the shore. "Look, our turn."

Sasuke was organizing men into groups of five on the other bank when they beached.

"Naruto," He called, seeing their boat arrive. "How was it?"

"Tiring."

"Heh."

Sakura came into view with an axe seen on her back. "The ones over there are armed and ready, I think if we lead smaller groups, and help flank each other we should limit any surprises."

Sasuke nodded.

"Four groups should be enough," said Naruto. "Give me the smallest, and I'll watch our flank."

Sasuke nodded and pointed at Gari, Naruto and the third bearing a torch. As he neared, Gari recognized him as the eldest son of his neighbor, a good child named Sora. He wasn't even fifteen yet.

"What are you doing here?" Gari asked him. "Does your father know you are here?"

Sora grimaced and refused to meet his gaze.

"It won't hurt any one."

"This isn't a normal hunt, boy."

"It's all right, besides, I think it's a bit late to be sending him back now." Naruto said, pulling his shield off his back. A soft blue white glow came over it, and immediately Gari felt his anxiety sliding away as it bathed over him. "Stay at my side at all times, Sora, and keep your torch raised high. The Grimm don't react well to light."

"Stay together, and do not do anything foolish." Sakura spoke to the four groups. "I have their trail, I can feel them close."

Sakura led the way, four of their strongest at her side, three wielding swords, one dual-wielding torch and dagger. The other groups marched behind and at either side. Sasuke taking the left and Naruto at the rear position.

Naruto let them gain a bit of distance, then followed.

Gari felt his stomach twist into knots as they walked deeper into the forest. It was said that the Grimm had taken over the land ruining the soil and stripping the land of wildlife. It was all superstition though, but now that he was here, he wasn't so sure anymore.

The grass was a pale yellow, though that could have been because of autumn's arrival, not any after effect of the Grimm.

There were no trees beyond the edge of the river, instead long, sloped hills looking barren in the glowing moonlight. A thousand campfire stories ran through his head, and try as he might, he couldn't banish them.

The barren forest was rumored to hold all kinds of villainous Grimm, and of all the stories, he knew at least they existed. He'd seen the corpse tied at the town's entrance.

Deeper and deeper into the barren forest they travelled. Sora grew increasingly nervous, but strangely, that made Gari feel better. His pride refused to let him show fear to a young boy approaching manhood, Naruto being an exemption.

"Maybe they've turned tail and run," he said.

"You sure Sasuke-san knows where they are?" Sora asked. "I don't see no tracks."

Gari frowned at the comment. Sora was right. No Grimm tracks? How then did Sakura know of their presence? He didn't want to ask any dumb questions if he didn't have to. Sasuke and everyone else were focusing on the hunt and distracting them might be even dangerous. He decided to give it a minute to think about it before he started making a ruckus.

"Trust them," whispered Gari to Sora. "There are experienced trackers among us."

Gari did his best to clear his mind and calm down. He felt the cool air and heard the stamping of feet as they marched along. His eyes then widened.

That was it! He saw no tracks because they were behind at least a dozen men stamping over them.

He relayed his realization to Sora, and the boy nodded, giving a half smile. That made the older man feel better.

…

The river was but a distant shimmer when they heard the first growl of the Grimm. It cut through Gari like a knife, and for the first time it seemed like he realized where he was, and what he was doing. He looked to his sword, an old relic passed down for four generations. He hadn't even sharpened it before coming out, ignorant of the proper way and not thinking to check with Shinzu the blacksmith.

Men from the other three groups were certainly thinking something similar, for they heard them muttering among themselves.

A second Grimm's growl was heard, this time from the opposite side.

"Careful, Sasuke, Sakura," Naruto whispered, although the two were out of earshot. It did little to help Gari's already crumbling bravery.

They followed the lead groups into a gap between two gentle hills, their slopes hardly taller than a man. Their pace had slowed considerably, and Naruto lessened the distance between them and the others. When the growls came again, they echoed all around them.

Gari swallowed, his mouth feeling stuffed with cotton. Beside him, the torch shook in Sora's hand.

"Just two," Naruto said, noting their expressions. "Either side of the hills. Don't panic. Stay with me, always with me."

Several of the men on the right cried out and pointed. Gari looked but only saw the hill. Another sounded, this one directly behind them. He spun, his knuckles white as he gripped his sword. The grass was empty. Someone from the lead group was startled and was swiftly ordered quiet by Sakura. More and more growls and this time it was the men on the left who pointed. Gari caught sight of a dark blur, and he couldn't believe how fast it glided over the hill, vanishing on the other side.

Their groups halted, each one facing a direction.

Moments later, Sasuke arrived and grabbed Naruto by the arm.

"Surrounded," he whispered. Gari stared back to the distant river, pretending he didn't hear and almost wishing he couldn't. Blurred shaped Grimm approached, hovering low to the ground. His heart crawled up his throat.

"How many?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. According to Sakura, probably seven, or nine."

"We need to get out of here Sasuke. We aren't prepared, not for those numbers. Such a large amount of Class III-"

The Grimm growled, and they came from all sides, merging together so that Gari couldn't begin to know how many there were. He imagined hordes of the creatures, enough to blot out the eastern grasslands, snarling while drool dripped from their fangs…

Naruto grabbed his kunai, and Sasuke drew his sword, fire bathing all over it.

"You might want to include your semblance in this situation, Naruto. Lives are at risk."

Naruto exhaled. "Exactly why I can't reveal it here. I might lose control."

Sasuke scoffed and shouted to the people. "We hold!"

Gari shouted. "To the river Sasuke, we must flee to the river! We will have advantage in the wat-"

"No!" Sakura shouted, her axe glowing white. "We will hold."

Sasuke and Sakura rushed to the front, leaving the three there to defend. Naruto stood before them, his shield raised.

"Cry out if any comes from the side," he told them. "Gari, stand firm, and watch for an opening. When you see it, do not hesitate. Do not be afraid." He turned looking to Gari and Sora sternly. "Kill it, and live."

"I don't know if I can," Gari said. The dark shaped grew more pronounced, three Grimm running at horrific speed towards them.

"You will," Naruto said.

Somehow a smile was across his face, and for the first time in their whole trip, he looked calm.

The Grimm roared out before colliding with their forces. Naruto stood firm, his legs planted and his shield in place. The three approached side by side, and in unison, they lunged. Gari watched, feeling as if his feet were buried deep into the ground. Sora however, let out a cry and swung his torch. The right most Grimm, having focused on Naruto, howled and turned its head away.

Its slash went wild, and then it dug its claws into the earth to slow its momentum. The other two slammed into Naruto. Gari expected him to fly back, unable to endure such power, but then the light of his shield flared. The Grimm cried out in pain, and then it was they who fell back, one staggering on two legs, the other falling to all fours and snarling.

It shook its head as if to clear away a fog. Naruto didn't let up, stepping in and bashing its skull with the sharp edge of his shield. It hit with a crack that made Gari's stomach turn.

The one that had sailed past returned, this time more carefully. Sora waved his torch back and forth at it, as if shooing away a stray dog. At first Gari feared he'd been injured, seeing something slick on his clothes, but then realized the boy had lost control of his bladder. He couldn't blame him. From up ahead, he heard constant screams of pain, snarls of wolves, and chaotic orders combined with pleading.

" **I'm no beast scared of fire.** " The Grimm snarled at Sora. Gari nearly felt his own bladder let go. The creatures could talk?! Why had no one told him they could talk? Kaiza said it laughed at him, but he'd thought he was hallucinating, caused by sorrow to hear strange things. The creature's voice was deep, grumbling. He then realized the intelligence they must possess is they could communicate in such a way. Kaiza had made it sound like they'd gone to hunt mindless monsters. But this… this…

The Grim was focused on Sora and his torch and appeared to be about to pounce.

With a shout, Gari charged. He brought up the blade of his sword around with all his might and struck muscle. Although the blade was dull, blood spurted. The Grimm snarled and backhanded Gari. It was like a sledgehammer.

The next thing Gari knew, he was painfully picking himself from the ground.

He looked through his blurry vision to note that Sora was on the ground, the Grimm on top of the boy. Sora's arms were pinned. The Grimm bared his teeth, and as though savoring the meal he was about to have, he slowly lowered toward Sora's exposed throat.

Gari could not allow Sora to die like this. There wasn't a moment to waste! With the Grimm intent on Sora, it was exposed.

Gari stabbed its side before it could bite down on Sora. His sword sank halfway to the handle, then snapped when the creature twisted. Claws slashed across his face, the pain immense. Blood blotted the vision of his left eye, and he clutched it with a hand.

Be brave, he told himself as the Grimm jumped off Sora. He only saw teeth. The dead one hanging in their town had its teeth ripped out, he realized. He'd never have come if he'd seen them like he saw them now.

Its jaw closed on his shoulder; its weight slammed him to the ground. Warm blood spilled across his chest. He screamed. He tried to swing his sword, but the weapon was pinned down.

"You are not dying today Gari!" Naruto yelled, smashing its body with its shield. Gari, in a daze, saw the light stab into it, as if the glow were a dagger capable of cutting flesh. It released its grip on his shoulder, and he let out an involuntary gasp. Down came a vicious punch from Naruto, catching the retreating wolf across the snout.

Teeth flew and its blood sprayed across them both.

" **We will feast!** " it shrieked. Naruto's shield shone brighter as his expression was hidden, and amid his delirium, Gari thought he heard the shinobi laugh.

"No." Naruto said his eyes gaining a reddened coloration. " **You won't.** "

The Grimm charged, and Naruto met it head on with a punch so concussive that it smashed the bones of his face, and it stayed down.

"Sora?!" Gari asked, trying to stand. But Sora was fine, and he grabbed Gari's arm and helped him up. In the distance, he could see Sakura and Sasuke cleaving through the increasing horde of Grimm like it was nothing to them.

Was he that weak?

"To the river," Naruto told the two as he turned to join the battle beyond. " **Run, and don't stop.** "

"I wish you luck." Gari said, leaning some of his weight on Sora.

"You as well." Said Naruto, as soon as they were out of sight, Naruto looked around to note the increasing horde trying to surround him and he gave a dark smirk.

 _Now I don't really have to worry about harming any innocents._

…

Sakura was on full form, using her axe with incredible agility and dexterity. With her weapon glowing white, she easily maneuvered around the Grimm's quick attacks, and with an incredible use of strength, cut through them like butter.

They were weak, but their strength was in numbers. Very soon, they were going to try and wear her out.

Within a brief moment, she looked to note the few that lost their lives during this encounter. This was not on her, she had made her peace with that. The issue was that Naruto wouldn't think along those lines.

Quickly reacting, she used the flat side of her axe to block a vicious hit from behind that would have really messed her up, and jumped to the air, before using her axe to cleave its head in two.

With a brutal wide arc she cut through most of the Grimm surrounding her in a move.

Sasuke on his own kept using his sword, enhanced by his flames to cut through a wide number of them. Channeling his aura, a wide arc of fire emerged from his sword, burning through a great number of them.

Kaiza, although he was a farmer, had a bit of military training, and was able to react in time, avoiding hits that would have made him part of yesterday's memory.

"What do we do Sasuke?!" Kaiza asked in alarm as a Grimm batted away most of their forces. "They keep coming!"

Sasuke just scoffed and yelled out, "Stand your ground!"

Widening his eyes, he looked down to note a hand emerging from the ground grabbling his foot in a tight grip, keeping him in place.

 _Shit!_

He wasn't given time to cut through the hand as a Grimm flew from above towards him, intending to take a good chunk of his shoulder. For a moment, Sasuke, feared for his life.

That was before, Naruto jumped right over him and rammed the Grimm mid-air, sending it headfirst to the ground.

Sasuke ignored the sound of bones breaking and used his sword to cut through the Grimm that attempted to emerge from the ground, freeing its grip on his leg in the process.

Naruto landed right behind Sasuke, their backs facing each other.

"We didn't account for this much, Sasuke." Naruto spoke as Sasuke grit his teeth, looking to the distance to note another incoming horde from the mountains. "They need to retreat, we can hold them off; they can't."

A bloodstained Sakura landed within their midst. "What do we do?!"

Sasuke bit his lip, this was getting out of hand.

Just how many were they?

…

Gari and Sora stumbled west, between the hills and towards the river. As soon as they saw the river in the distance. Gari's shoulder burned, and every breath he took felt like fire in his lungs. Sora didn't look much better, but guilty as he felt for burdening his wounded friend. Gari knew he could not retreat without aid. They glanced back only once, the torches looking like glowing dots in the distance.

It seemed like an eternity, but they reached the river and the waiting boat. Sora helped him inside, then prepared to push it into the water.

"Wait." Gari said. "His head felt light, but damn did it feel good to sit down. He clutched his shoulder and wished the pain would go away. Dimly, he wondered how badly the creature had scarred his face.

"No." Sora said, realizing what he wanted. "Please no, we can go-"

"We stay."

Sora sighed, then shook his head.

"Fine." He looked to the glowing dots in the distance that seemed to reduce in number. "You're right."

…

They watched and waited for the first to show. A minute later, three men appeared, two relatively unscathed, but the third limped along in their arms, his left leg mangled and missing his foot.

"Hurry," Gari said, beckoning them to the boat.

"We thought you'd leave," said one of them.

"Never. Push us off, and then get in Sora. This boat will float with five."

Out on the peaceful water, it seemed the fight was a hundred miles away. If not for the pain, Gari might have convinced himself that it was a horrible, horrible nightmare. When they reached the other side, one of the men helped him out, and he lay against a tree beside the other wounded man.

"The others," Gari said to a scarred Sora, pointing back to the barren forest. He felt sleepy, and knew if he close his eyes he'd succumb to it, but this was important. "You must… you must go back…"

Sora was crying, his face wet with tears, but still he went to the boat and started to push.

"No," said a larger man. Jinrai Hideki, he realized. Jinrai was always quick to argue, more temper than sense. But he seemed calm here, and he eased Sora out. "I'll go."

He stepped into the boat, angled it, and began rowing.

…

Time grew slippery. Gari remembered the first boat returning, weeping men disembarking. He heard muttering, names listed off. Counting the dead, he realized. He wondered if they counted him or not. More men appeared, though he didn't remember their arrival. The water splashed the shore, and he wished to dip his hand in it. Suddenly he was very thirsty.

"Gari?" someone asked. He opened his eyes, not remembering closing them. A young face hovered over him, blurry and unrecognizable.

"Get back," he mumbled. "I'm tired."

"Gari, it's Sora. You got to stay awake. Shinzu says you got to…"

Darkness filled with the sound of water. Something touched his shoulder, and the pain awakened there. He opened his eyes and saw Naruto kneeling before him. Sakura was seen with her hands over his shoulder a green glow enveloping his injuries. His drowsiness faded, and the pain, which had been all encompassing, shrank down to something he could endure, something he could comprehend. Carefully, Naruto wiped the blood from Gari's left eye with his bare thumb so he could see.

"Stand, Gari-san." He said, taking his hand. "You have a wife and child waiting for you."

…


	3. Breaking Point

_**BREAKING POINT**_

When the light of the morning shone through his window, Naruto winced. Every part of his body ached, and it felt like a pack of giants banged drums inside his forehead. He'd stayed up late into the night, watching over the wounded alongside Sakura. Between them and the town's midwife, an old woman named Asuka, they'd sewn, bandaged and kept as many alive as possible.

Considering Sakura's skill with healing wasn't omnipotent, they had to make do with what they had. After that, the entire town had gathered in a prayer of remembrance, for they had no bodies to bury. Under the cover of the stars, they mourned those the Grimm killed.

"We failed," he muttered, rubbing the crust from his eyes. "We lost a lot, Sasuke. I hope you're happy."

He felt guilty saying it, but he also felt better. At least alone in his room he could grumble, mutter, and let his frustration show. Once he was outside, he had an image to project, one of bravery, one of courage. Sometimes he'd admit he enjoyed taking up his weapons and killing a Grimm. At least he wasn't pretending about anything then.

But of course, he also knew he wasn't being fair. Sasuke had taken them out to deal with a threat to the town. None of them could have anticipated how serious it'd be. After the battle, he'd spoken with all but Sasuke, who had stayed quiet and away from the others. Three Grimm had attacked from the back, two from each side, and three more from the front. An amount so large were close to the town and it wasn't discovered sooner?

Naruto was puzzled. The Grimm seemed intelligent, and from what he observed, alone, they weren't capable of mounting such an organized attack.

Three had attacked initially from the back, two from each side, and three more from the front. After that they began to increase in number, wearing them out and gaining advantage. They were expecting not more than ten, but given how unprepared they were, it could have been far worse.

Someone, or something was organizing them, and he feared for the town.

"Naruto." Asked a voice on the other side of the door, followed by a gentle knock.

"I'm awake," he said, sitting up in bed and stretching his sore muscles. His healing factor unfortunately did nothing to his exhaustion. The door opened, and in stepped Sakura.

She blinked at his form, causing Naruto to let out a chuckle. He looked to the chair by his bed to note his yellow shirt and put it on. Looking to her he knew something was the matter. It was written all over her face.

"What's wrong, Sakura?"

"It's Kaiza," she said, with a downcast expression on her face. "He was found this morning."

Naruto looked on trying to understand what she was saying. "What are you saying Sakura? I saw him last night-"

"He hung himself…last night."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he was taken aback. "W…What?"

The words knifed through Naruto, but despite the pain, he wasn't surprised. He'd seen the lingering sorrow and death in Kaiza's eyes. Last night's excursion hadn't brought him the satisfaction he'd hoped for. Instead, seven of his friends had died, and many more suffered greatly. Again, he thought of Sasuke, and wondered how he was taking the news.

"We… We need to bury him, or to say something to them." Sakura muttered, looking to him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Hayashi's pleading that we try and say something, to try and placate their fear, their grief… anything."

It seemed like the people needed hope, even if it was from teenagers like them. This was how the Shinobi were viewed in the Continent of Fire. Here, age meant nothing, they were seen as a different brand of soldiers, and Wave looked at them as guardians.

Considering the fear the Grimm had managed to evoke in the Continent, their protectors were seen as something else entirely.

Naruto looked to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sakura."

"I agreed to go with him!" Sakura looked to him with regret in his eyes. "You saw that this would happen, you saw that-"

"Not even I estimated this. No one could." Naruto replied sympathetically. She wanted to try and keep them in line and it often led to her making decisions that she regretted. Naruto was also grateful to her, because he was certain he would have given up on Sasuke, and Sasuke would have given up on them, if she hadn't been there to keep them in line. "We just wanted to do the right thing, so did Sasuke. I guess we all got…lost in that."

"Killing yourself." Sakura muttered prompting a confused look from Naruto.

 _Huh?_

"My father always said that people who killed themselves were cowards, people without honor. He said that they didn't deserve to have peace. That it was a despicable thing to do. But Kaiza was a good man. Before all this, before his family was-" She halted, biting her lip. "Do you think he'll find peace?"

Naruto looked in thought, not finding the right words to say to her.

"I don't know," Naruto smiled at her. "I really hope so. He was a kind man and I'll continue to hope that he's with his family. We can't fault him for missing his loved ones as much as he did. He just loved them too much I guess, if that is even a term I can use."

"Sasuke said he didn't deserve it. That he died foolishly. He said that-"

"Sasuke speaks out of hurt. We always know he isn't the most morally upright person around." He spoke eliciting chuckle from her. "But still, we need to stick by him. We need to help him, because if not us, if not for you, I fear for him."

Sakura smiled wistfully at him. "You are too good for him. You know that right?"

"Well," Naruto let out a nostalgic expression. "He was my first friend. And I don't abandon my friends. If I abandon him, what does it say of me?"

Sakura nodded at him. And Naruto looked out the window to the morning sun.

"I'll be out soon enough. I'll just freshen up and catch up with you. What is Sasuke doing now?"

"Brooding."

"Heh."

…

The way parted before him, and Naruto stepped to the porch of Kaiza's home. Inside, he saw a rope lying on the floor, having been cut from the rafter it'd been tied to. Wrapped in a blanket was Kaiza's corpse. His parents, their backs hunched, their skin deeply tanned by the sun, sat to the side, surrounded by their friends. Not far away, he saw Tsunami's parents and they looked too drained to cry. They'd lost all their tears the days before, suffering for the fate of their daughter and grandchildren.

Naruto knelt before Kaiza's parents and took their hands in his. He was taught this at the academy, it was all routine.

"Is there anything, you'd like to say?" He asked.

The father looked at him, his eyes puffy and red.

"He wasn't himself when he did it. You know that, right? He'd never…he'd never do this…"

"He was already dead," said the mother. "He died when Tsunami and the kids did. No parent should ever bury their child…" she began to break down. "No parent."

Naruto closed his eyes in thought. He wondered if the pain of loss when one loses their parents was equal to a parent losing their child. He wondered how Kaiza would have felt, had his kids survived.

Naruto looked sympathetically to them and stood, looking to the crowd. Some wanted comfort. Some were there to support their friends, and couldn't care less what he had to say. A knot grew in his stomach, and his tongue felt layered with sand.

What could he say to them? He knew so little. At the Academy, they taught him the words for funerals, what to say for the passing of men, women and children. They'd never trained him to deal with the looks they were giving him, the near desperate desire for relief and comfort.

The funeral was about Kaiza, his life, his memory. Naruto knew that he had to honor this. He was not the greatest orator, but at least, he knew what to say at this time.

He gave them what he could, and it felt like exposing a piece of himself as he spoke. He told them of Kaiza's kindness, talked of the love of his family. He said not a word of his suicide and he never intended to.

When he finished, he gestured to the town head, Hayashi, who stepped forward, three men with him. They lifted Kaiza into their arms and carried him out. They would bury him in the fields, forever to be part of their village and their way of life.

…

Naruto found Sasuke outside of the town, sitting with his back to a lone tree growing atop a hill. The wind blew, and it felt wonderful against Naruto's warm skin. Speaking to the public always made him flush and feel like his neck were on fire.

"You weren't there for the burial," Naruto said, sitting down beside the Uchiha. "You owed him that."

"Don't deserve it."

Naruto frowned at him. "Whether he hanged himself or not, he trusted both of us, and at least you could have-"

"Not him," Sasuke said, shooting him a glare. "I don't deserve to be there. He was hurting, and I led him out there, into the forest because I thought I could help him. Instead I made things worse. One of those that died was his best friend." Sasuke pointed out, looking at Naruto whose eyes solely widened. "How could he endure that after so much loss?"

He leaned against the tree and thudded his head against the bark.

"I led us right into that ambush," he said, his voice growing quieter. Naruto looked into his eyes to note the regret Sasuke had, as he looked to the white clouds in the sky. "Their tracks were so obvious a child could have followed them." He clenched his fist. "I should have known something was wrong. The people of the town aren't fighters. They were carpenters, farmers, and fishermen. Now more are dead, the town keeps suffering, and the one I sought to help spent the night hanging from his ceiling by a rope."

"We are all human Sasuke, and we all make mistakes."

"You don't get it!" Sasuke yelled out, pointing to the memorial smoke that was billowing to the skies. "I caused that. If we had gone alone, if I and you and Sakura would have done this alone, they wouldn't have died!"

"And what do think we can do to reverse this?" Naruto asked, looking towards him. "We can't turn back time, Sasuke. I also am in fault. I could have done something to stop this, but I didn't. I guess deep down I also wanted justice, but hid behind you. The only thing we can do, is to let it go, Sasuke. You did what you thought was right, so did I. Next time, don't let your guilt keep you away. I'm tired of dedicating all the burials around here."

Sasuke looked to him stunned. "How are you so calm about this? Why aren't you angry with me? Why do you keep trying to-"

"We are friends Sasuke. And I understand your decisions even more than you'd like to admit. I know it feels different, but, you know that. Besides, my parents always put it in me the thought that being too emotional would cost me. I don't know, I imagine if I didn't have them, I would have been-"

He trailed off, looking to the distance. He couldn't even imagine it.

Sasuke looked away. They were the same. The only difference was that Naruto looked differently at the world than him. A bit too optimistic, and he was sure, that would cost him. He would admit to himself that he was a bit too pessimistic also.

Was that why they were friends?

Naruto then gestured east, towards the distant river. "What do we do about the Grimm? From what I collected they are gathering in that forest, and I don't think it's random. Something is making them to gather so close to this town, and I don't like the feeling."

"You are saying we might have stumbled upon a single hunting party."

"I'm saying this isn't normal."

Sasuke let out a sigh. "What do we do?"

"We cannot take any chances. We need to head back to the Academy tomorrow, let's bring it up before our instructor. I'm sure he'll take it to the top."

"We can handle this," Sasuke said, his stubbornness and pride returning. "We don't need to involve others."

"It's like you haven't learnt. Whether we can or can't, I'd rather we fail on the side of caution. Trust me on this."

Sasuke looked to him before relenting. "Fine. I must be bothered by this more than I thought."

"It means we are still human." Naruto spoke with a grin to which Sasuke just scoffed.

"I'll write the report," Sasuke said, standing. "And we head back to Konoha tomorrow."

"Where are you going?" asked Naruto.

"I have a family deserving my apologies," said Sasuke. "Not that it's your business."

Naruto smiled at his retreating figure, before leaning against the tree. He closed his eyes, and enjoyed the weather. Slowly he felt his tension drain away, and at once, he felt renewed.

He really loved nature. It was so peaceful, so uplifting.

…

Fires brimmed, unstopped and unlimited. They surrounded and consumed Konoha completely, and it was completely overrun by Grimm. Class V Grimm, the dragons, rained hell down to the Capital burning the people and its buildings to complete ash.

The skies thundered and the clouds vibrated, lighting piercing through them like a hot knife through butter.

A huge explosion enveloped the capital completely, and all he heard was silence.

 _ **Boom!**_

A loud roar and the explosion following it woke Naruto from the nightmare he was experiencing. He hadn't realized the reason why he awoke, and all he did was look in the distance panting.

He looked to the sky, stunned that night had come. Was he that exhausted?

The smell of fire and the screams of terror drew his attention to the town and his eyes widened.

 _Oh no… That's impossible!_

What drew his attention, wasn't the Grimm that stormed relentlessly upon the village, it wasn't the fact that the fire successfully trapped them all inside, fighting a fruitless battle.

The reports given showed that there were only nine of them, the Class VI Grimm. Unrivaled in power and destruction.

The other continents were only graced with the presence of the Class V, the dragons.

But right before him, was one of such beasts. It's black skin oozed out a red miasma of power that reached even him. A white and protruding terrifying spine connected its head to the rest of its nine tails, and this description only made Naruto look agape.

 _ **The Nine Tailed Demon.**_

His instincts were telling him to run away, that this was the same Class of Grimm that killed his parents, the strongest duo to ever come out from the Continent of Fire in a decade. He wanted to run back to the Capital.

But still, he found himself running head first into the carnage, down to the city.

Because of two reasons, Sakura and Sasuke.

Naruto didn't even feel his legs, the speed he was taking off with unknown to him. His eyes were dilated, pulsating as his adrenaline was secreted in high amounts.

He had to make it to them.

…

He reached the center of the town, bloodied from head to toe. His eyes were frantic and blazing red, his kunai dripping with blood from the Grimm he had slain on his way and his exhaustion was nothing more than a glimmer.

His mind was halted, because right before him, was Sasuke and Sakura dead before him.

Sakura had a white bone that went through her gut, attaching her to a burning home, while Sasuke was lying on his face, a large pool of blood seen beneath him.

 _No._

He looked in horror, unable to comprehend what was happening. It was so…fast, so… sudden. Where was he? He was sleeping, while they were fighting? What the hell happened? Why didn't he wake up much sooner?

What was happening all around him?

It didn't make any sense!

He went to his knees, and deep within his grief, one thing started to make sense.

It was all a dream… it was all… a dream, right? He was afraid to move forward, to reach for them, scared at what he would find out.

He was so consumed in his thoughts he failed to notice the slow and thundering footsteps that approached and stopped right behind him.

A slow growl emerged from the Nine tailed demon behind him as it assessed Naruto.

" **You did well, for a human. You managed to draw my attention, by killing a lot of my children.** "

Naruto didn't respond, just staring at their bodies in complete shock.

The Grimm followed his gaze towards a fallen Sasuke and Sakura. " **Shinobi huh, well, they fought well, but not well enough though. At least, they were slightly harder to kill than the cowards in this town.** "

"…dream"

The Grimm looked to him inquisitively. " **I didn't hear you well enough.** "

"It's all a dream."

" **A dream?** " It chuckled." **That's what you think? Well, I guess this might be too much to absorb for a regular human. What was that saying, pinch me so it doesn't feel like a dream.** "

Naruto then felt weightless, crashing against multiple trees after a vicious slap by the Grimm. He gasped from the air that was blown out from his lungs, as he slowly came to a stop.

Blood emerged from his lips as he coughed out blood, heaving in and out in a vain attempt to fight for his life.

Here he was, without his armor and weapon, here he was, unarmed, and greatly injured.

He was going to die.

He felt paralyzed. Unable to move as he was certain his spine was broken.

His vision, although blurry looked to the distance, to the dead bodies of his teammates. He didn't care about the people who were razed down, he didn't care about the burning village. He didn't even care that he was hoisted up and looking deep into the Grimm's red pupils.

He wanted to join them. "Kill me." He spoke out in a hoarse whisper.

He was bloodied completely, his blood and that of the Grimm, mixing in.

" **Huh.** " The Grimm muttered ignoring his statement, for something much more interesting. " **You look and smell…familiar. Heh.** " A grin was seen all over the Grimm's face. " **I can't believe they were your parents.** "

Naruto's body tensed and his pupils took on a red coloration to the curiosity of the Grimm before him.

"You… You were the one-"

" **My lucky day.** "

…

His eyes slowly opened, looking to the clear skies above him.

In that moment, Naruto felt at peace with himself, despite the memory he was haunted by.

Then the wind blew and the smell of ash and burnt skin entered his nose. His eyes widened and looked around him to note that he was in a large crater which was surrounded by the smoldering remains of the entire town.

Realization began to set in as he walked slowly towards their corpses, Sasuke and Sakura; his eyes widening with each step.

"It wasn't…a dream."

He knelt before them as he immediately felt nauseous, emptying his stomach contents to the earth beneath him.

His body trembled, as an untold amount of grief enveloped him completely.

"Sakura, Sasuke…" He muttered to their bodies, clinging to a certain hope that they survived the ordeal. That it was one big joke.

Then he broke down, screaming out in pain and anguish at the pain that enveloped him completely. He heart ached and there was nothing he could do.

Sasuke's words passed through his mind.

 _ **One of those that died was his best friend. How could he endure that after losing so much?**_

The Nine Tails was gone, the Grimm were gone, and in their wake, they left a huge scar upon the land and upon the sixteen year old Uzumaki Naruto.

…


	4. Fate

_**FATE**_

"That's all you have to say? That conspicuously, the Class VI Grimm, the nine tailed demon, was the cause of it? Is that right?"

The room was sparsely furnished, with just a table and two chairs placed opposite each other. The lighting was cold, with one harsh bulb directed towards Naruto's face. The walls were painted in a sickly pale green which surrounded the whole room.

It was meant to be uncomfortable, and Naruto was feeling just that.

Naruto sat across Morino Ibiki, who was standing with a disdainful expression etched over his scarred face. The scouts had gone to the Town of Wave after hearing multiple commotions from the region only to find a passed out Naruto right at the center of the destroyed villaged.

In a gruesome fashion, they all died. There were no survivors, no live witnesses except the boy right in front of him, and his answers led to just one conclusion.

Naruto looked ahead, with a fierce look, trying to keep his composure in place. If he was honest to himself, he was about to lose it. His mind was unstable, chaotic. Numerous thoughts and emotions kept bubbling through his head and he was trying to will it to be one. He knew how these procedures went, give them one evidence of insincerity and he was done.

The Ruling council weren't ones to mess around, they were stern, and never batted an eyelash to everyone, even the son of two decorated and well known hunters.

He internally smiled grimly at the thought, this would even get a lot more attention than expected.

If he was honest with himself, he never cursed his heritage, until now.

"Yes," said Naruto, his tone unwavering and his stare unmoving. Ibiki Morino looked to him, clearly also not intent on budging. In his mind, it was decided, the boy before him had killed his teammates and destroyed the town of Wave in a bout of rage.

What the cause was, however strange it was, was his job to find out, and he was going to get it. Although, he already knew.

"The Hunter patrol have gone through the wreckage, or in better terms, the ruins, and no evidence so far has been discovered that corroborates with your story."

"That's impossible." Naruto shook his head in the negative, stunned internally at the revelation. He still kept his composure, looking across the table to Ibiki. The lone light between them pierced through the dark room, and made it uncomfortable for Naruto. "That's impossible."

"You may say that, but I don't deal in baseless statements, I deal with facts. And the facts say that you are lying."

Naruto's lips began to tremble at the thought and unconsciously clenched his fist, prompting a cold smirk from the interrogator before him.

"Now let me tell you what my facts say."

Ibiki sat down across Naruto and looked into his eyes. He could tell that he was about to break, and all he needed, was that proof, that sign, that he was guilty.

"The Hunters scanned through the area and they found a specific type of aura spread through the region, responsible for the blast, and surprisingly," Ibiki leaned with a stern expression. "It traces back to you."

Naruto's eyes widened as a sharp exhale escaped from his lungs. "That's-"

"Impossible? No, it is not. It all points at one answer, you were the cause of it all."

Naruto's expression began to change, he was becoming frantic and his breathing became labored.

"You were the one who destroyed the village, and you were the one who killed-"

"Don't say that!"

"I'll say whatever I want!" Ibiki stood up slamming his hands on the cold metallic table. He walked quickly till he was behind Naruto and forced the side of his face down to the table to the Hunter's discomfort. He breathing increased.

"P…Please sto-"

"This has never happened in the entire history of Konoha! And you were the cause of it. Yes," Ibiki moved till his lips was inches away from Naruto's ear. "You killed them, Sasuke and Sakura!"

Naruto grit his teeth. "I did not! I would never hurt them."

"For some reason I disagree with that. Now let me tell you something!" Ibiki pressed his head harder unto the table. "We already know that you did it, all we need is confirmation that you did."

"I would never harm them, it was the Nine Tailed-"

"Demon?!" Ibiki scoffed. "You've said that many times. Do you even know of your nature, the ' _hidden power of the Uzumaki Clan_ '?"

"What are you talking about?! I don't care about some power right now! The Grimm was responsible for Wave's destruction! And all you have been doing is saying that I was the one that did it!"

Naruto didn't care anymore, completely furious at the thought that he was the one responsible for their deaths, it was impossible.

It was impossible… right?

"We went through your memories." Ibiki spoke interrupting Naruto's thoughts. He let go of his head and looked to him. The next words he spoke totally stunned Naruto.

" **For how long have you been thinking of destroying the Academy and the Capital?** "

"W…What?!"

"You heard me." Ibiki bent his head till his eyes were at the same level with Naruto's, looking into the now scared Uzumaki's eyes. "Inoichi found disturbing memories. One of the Capital being destroyed and another about-"

"There were just dreams?!"

"Were they?"

Naruto couldn't reply, the comment immediately shutting him up.

"What do you know of the Class VI Grimm?"

Naruto let out a soft exhale. "T…There are the last stage of the Grimm's evolution. Completely unstoppable…" Naruto spoke out, looking with fear to the distance. "…and there is the rumor that there are nine of them. All divided across the world."

"Hmm." Ibiki let out a cold smirk.

"You are right about a couple of things, actually, you are almost right about it all, it's just that you omitted a couple of parts."

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember we said that we went through your memories." Naruto nodded, frightened at the information he was about to receive, "We saw that you fought a Class III Grimm."

"I… We did."

"You see Naruto, the Grimm are drawn to negative emotions; that is their basic instinct, and their main drive is to destroy, to conquer, and to dominate."

Naruto nodded.

"What we didn't tell you people is that the classification is based on their skill of possession."

Naruto's body froze up at the information. "The Grimm possesses people?"

"I said it was based on their ability to possess." The Class III possess the land animals, the Class IV the sea animals and Class V the animals of the air.

Naruto's lips trembled. "And the Class VI."

"The final step in evolution."

Naruto exhaled as his expression was twisted into one of complete fear.

" **Humans**." Ibiki leaned to the wall behind Naruto as the blonde tried to digest the new information. "Fortunately for us, it is a very rare case."

"Y…You're saying-"

"Do you really think your eyes glowing red, and the sudden power boost that comes with it is just aesthetics?"

Naruto looked utterly baffled, trying to form a response. "N…No I-"

"What did you say you were doing when the Grimm attacked?"

"I was…" Naruto's breathing was frantic as his eyes was completely dilated at the ramifications. "I was…"

"Sleeping… right?" Ibiki concluded, and folded his arms. "You were sleeping throughout the destruction by a giant demon. And you only woke up when it was done?"

"Wha…" Naruto shook his head rapidly. "No! W…What are you saying?!"

Ibiki chuckled. "You are the Nine tailed Demon, Naruto. You have been possessed from birth, and…"

Naruto looked forward in stunned silence.

" **You killed your friends.** "

"No…"

"We attempted to see if it was possible for you to live among us, for you to find common ground with the Grimm, but, you see what it caused. Your parents fought hard for you to be left to live, despite the fact that you were a threat to them. They are gone now, and now you know-"

"No!" Naruto yelled out, interrupting Ibiki. The interrogator moved till he was before Naruto again and let out a scoff, after seeing the tears flowing out his perplexed eyes. His will was breaking already. "I would never, never, kill them."

"You don't even believe yourself now, do you?"

Naruto had an expression of complete horror as his hands trembled within the chains that bound him.

Was this true? Was he really the one responsible for all that destruction?

"What happened is simple." Ibiki elaborated. "I think it's all psychological. You see, you concocted false memories regarding the whole event, you made yourself believe that it was all out of your hands, in other words, it was just you, losing control. You now know that… right?"

Naruto looked to his hands as it began to look bloodied. _No._ He tried to refute what he had just heard, he tried to shoot it down, he tried to come up with proof, he tried to show that he wasn't the one who destroyed the town, but the surprising part was that, he couldn't.

He couldn't muster up any defense anymore.

What did they think of him, Sasuke and Sakura, when he…

He looked down in regret as his breathing increased. It suddenly began to make sense. His power. The way his eyes took a reddened color, and his strength increased exponentially.

His mother's shield began to make sense. It suppressed the demon within him but that day he wasn't wearing it; that day, he killed them all. Men, women and children, all of them who had stood with him in the Forest, from Gari, to Sora, to Shinzu, to each and every one of them.

He was the one behind it all.

"You now know what you did. And you know that it is a capital crime." Ibiki spoke and looked to him. "Now, what do you think is your fate?"

Naruto faced forward as the room began to look a bit bleak, he was completely rooted to his position, as he muttered unconsciously.

" **Death.** "

Ibiki looked to him with an affirmed expression.

His work was done.

…

The cell was nothing to write home about. It was barely six feet by four. The walls were made of thick grey stone that composed of all sides except the entrance. There, a mean barred opening was seen with thick metal bars. The bed was a plank of wood on legs, there was no mattress, no cushioning and only one thin blanket.

It was either unnervingly quiet or pierced with the screams of tortured inmates. The lone fire before the cell gave the only lighting to the entire room.

Naruto looked forward in silence. He didn't have an idea of how much time had passed of even if it was night or day. It was totally disorienting by design. Given enough time, a person could forget their own name in there. The isolation was total and stimulation was zero. All he could do was feel the cool walls, but even they were smooth.

Every time a guard's footsteps approached the door, it seemed like it was time for him to die, but they either just walked past him, or they were there to give him a meal.

It was hell, and even he began to crave the noose, hoping that it was going to be over soon.

Footsteps began to approach and Naruto looked on with a broken expression. His eyes lost the glimmer that once held him upright, he never looked to the rising of the sun anymore, whenever it happened.

He still looked ahead to note the person, and his heart felt like a fist was clenched around it.

He knew who it was, it was Sakura's father, and deep within his eyes Naruto knew that if the prison was open, the man would have attempted to beat him to death.

"Why?" he asked.

Why was that the question, a question even he never had the answer to?

Naruto could see from his expression that it must have taken a high degree of will to stand before him and look him straight in the eye. When Naruto imagined this moment, he thought that he was not going to be able to look him in the eye. He was surprised if he was to be honest with himself, of what he felt, regarding his presence.

He was sympathetic sure, but another feeling began to emerge from within him, a feeling of apathy, Sakura and Sasuke seemed to be his beacon to the world, with them gone, he seemingly lost all resolve.

For some reason, Naruto wondered, if he wanted that deep down, if all he ever wanted, was to be free of it all. The bonds that he managed to form all these years.

And so he looked down to the stone cold floor, not bothering to answer the man before him.

"You look so different. I wonder if this is who you were from the start, or who you became. When they told me that you did this, I didn't believe it," he said, looking on with restrained anger. "I wanted to come down here, I wanted to know if it was true. And now I look into your eyes, and all I see is…"

Naruto didn't look up to him; an expression of regret over his eyes.

"She loved you, you know,"

Naruto let out a labored exhale as his hand clenched painfully into a fist.

Kizashi smiled wistfully. "I overheard her talking one time with her mother, and she kept talking about how incredible and kind you were. Sure she never admitted it, but I could hear it in her voice, and Mebuki could see it in her eyes. Those beautiful green eyes that you shut off."

Naruto's eyes flickered red.

"I want you to know, that even though you die, you will never find peace, you will forever be haunted by all this, and nothing, nothing will ever save you."

Naruto didn't say anything. His mouth tried to move, to tell him that he was sorry, but he didn't, he couldn't.

"You can't even say anything to me, can you?" He smirked mirthlessly. "Have any of them come to see you, your so called friends?"

Naruto didn't say anything, just absorbing the words.

"They cannot even look at you in the face, all they can do is try and live out the void you have left in their hearts. I came to say goodbye, because you will die tomorrow."

As Kizashi was about to leave, Naruto interrupted him.

"What time is it?"

Kizashi stopped and turned to him, he closed his eyes and let out an exhale. "Your end."

And with that Kizashi Haruno left, and Naruto didn't lift his gaze up anymore. The darkness swallowed him, and a red hue was seen emerging from his shadowed expression.

 _Finally… It all ends._

…

 _ **Does it have to be, the end, that is?**_

Naruto widened his eyes, hearing a voice that he had only heard once. He looked around the prison cell in alarm. _What the-_ For a second he wondered if he was only hearing things. He wondered if-

 _ **I'm not out there.**_

Naruto's expression slowly became cold. _It's you isn't it. The Nine Tailed Demon._

 _ **You seem to be much more welcoming than the false memories you implanted so as to ignore me. Oh well, what happened happened. I feel lonely, you know. I try and try to reach you all this while through my vivid illusions but you never seem to accept. Rather, I blame your mother for that. That shield of hers.**_

 _You killed them._

 _ **We killed them, mostly in your part of course. The question is, did they matter? Or weren't they just a cog in the ever spinning wheel. I think you lost focus, and now you are haunted by regret,**_ It chuckled in amusement. _ **Such a funny thing a human experiences, regret. You will experience more and more losses. Then you will accept me.**_

 _You should go._

 _ **When things are getting interesting? Oh no, now Naruto, I'm here to stay. Besides you have a huge destiny ahead of you.**_ It chuckled even deeper. _**Complete… domination.**_

Naruto's eyes widened as a guard dropped down right in front the door to the cell. He was unconscious, and to the prisoner's surprise, a masked man with grey hair stopped right before the cell.

"Naruto."

Naruto looked stunned. _K…Kakashi._

Kakashi Hatake was like an uncle to him, someone who trained under the Minato 'The Yellow Flash' Namikaze. Ever since he was small, he always saw Kakashi watching over him, never letting him stray away.

Naruto watched as Kakashi fished out the keys from the fallen guard and used it to open the barred door. Naruto didn't move from his bed looking stunned to Kakashi.

"You came."

Kakashi nodded. "Sure thing. We need to get out of here, I don't think we have much time."

Naruto looked to the floor as Kakashi unlocked his chains. "I don't deserve it. Maybe that's what I deserve, for what I did, maybe I-"

"We all fall into assumptions when things become bleary or when we fail or make mistakes. You'll get over this Naruto. The world still needs you."

"For what? Haven't you heard? I'm sure you know already. Mom and Dad knew, why wouldn't you? I'm the Nine-Tailed-"

"I refuse to believe that's who you are." Kakashi helped him up, looking into the lost eyes of Naruto. "You are Uzumaki Naruto. And you have a lot to give. Now, let's get you out of here."

Naruto didn't reply and didn't protest as Kakashi pulled him into the long tunnel, armed hunters in pursuit.

…

Naruto stared forward to the ever expanding mass of water that never seemed to end. A man was seen rowing the boat and they were the only two occupants in it.

Naruto turned back, looking to the Continent of Fire in the distance. Kakashi had sacrificed his life for him and here he was, heading to an unknown land.

"You know," The man muttered. "The faster you say something, the better this journey will be for the both of us."

Naruto looked to him. He had almost forgotten about him. His name, was Tazuna if he remembered, one of Kakashi's contacts. "Where are we going to?"

"Right now, out of here. The world is a big place, you one big life ahead of you."

Naruto looked to the distant moon which looked shattered completely. It was one of the puzzles of the human race, what was the cause of that?

 _ **I told you that it wasn't the end.**_

 _Who are you really?_

 _ **Introductions already? I'm liking the fact that we will be on a first name basis. My name's Kurama.**_

 _Huh._

 _ **You'll have to kill him, you know that right? We do not need witnesses tattling off to the people as to our status. Kakashi's dead, this one needs to die.**_

 _He doesn't know anything._

 _ **First lesson, never trust anyone on the go. It never ends well. Everyone you knew is past history and what you are heading into now, is world that is ignorant of our true power.**_

 _Our?_

Kurama chuckled. _**We are just getting started.**_

The boat continued to travel along the seas, with the moon glinting off a kunai that emerged from Naruto's sleeve.

…


	5. First Meeting

_**FIRST MEETING**_

The chilly touch of cold breeze was felt everywhere. The Mountain maples shone amidst the rising sun. The birds' constant chirping further lightened the atmosphere in the forest. The sun rose slowly into the dull morning sky, casting its beams in every direction while it illuminated the small town.

The forest seemingly came alive under the rays of the sun, with rich reds and golden hues emphasizing the autumn season. Bright leaves of ivy decorated the pines and maples, designed at the skirt of the foot of the mountain.

A breeze through the region caused the tall grass to dance with the blowing wind, and the flowers were smothered in morning dew. Fluffy fleeces of clouds passed over the forest as the leaves floated over the running streams that stretched from the mountains over a great distance.

And the grumbling sounds of a girl filled the region while she followed an older man.

When Ruby Rose heard that her Uncle was going to be training her privately in combat so she could achieve her dream of being a Huntress, she was ecstatic. Now it has been a week and her annoyance with the training schedule had not yet waned.

The sleep was still visible in her eyes while she trailed after Qrow. She never understood the reason as to why she had to wake up earlier than the sunrise. They could have started later on and it wouldn't have harmed anyone.

"How many reasons do you want?"

Ruby blinked, not realizing she had been voicing her thoughts. "Uhh."

"A lot of biology involved there but I'm pretty sure your brain wouldn't handle it."

Ruby scowled before letting out a grimace. Although it was kind of insulting, he was right, but she wasn't going to admit it to him. She just followed him through the trees while they approached a clearing.

"First of all it clears your mind, gives you the necessary energy for the day, jumpstarts your metabolism, need I go on?" He looked to the fifteen year old girl behind him and let out an amused chuckle at the expression she had on her face. It was always fun, riling the kids up.

"Yeah yeah," she grumbled. The two reached a clearing that had scars around the surrounding trees, showing the progress they had gone through.

"Well, so far you have done excellently, your aim with the weapon is getting better."

Ruby smirked and began to cradle her weapon lovingly. "It's one of the good things that came out of this."

"And how did you think you were able to use it? With my training, you wouldn't have much problems with it." Qrow elaborated before whistling at the mountain that within a close range. "I never get tired of the sight." He smiled and looked to Ruby who groaned.

"I do."

"Well, Ruby, up you go."

Ruby let out a groan and dropped both bags belonging to her and Qrow as well as her weapon to the leaf covered clearing and began to run towards the mountains, certain that she could climb herself to the top today.

Qrow just let out a smirk at the determination she showed. "That's my girl."

He was certain her grumpiness was just an effect of her being a teenager. Deep down, he knew that she always liked a challenge when it was directed towards her.

Besides, he had a good feeling about today. And that happened rarely.

…

Ruby greedily gulped down large quantities of water from the bottle as Qrow blinked. "That wouldn't be good for you, cramps and all that."

Ruby let out a loud exhale in relief, lying flat on the earth. "I…" she gulped in air, "I don't care."

"Well, I guess we could use a bit of rest. Nice job, you got further than the last time."

"I'm pretty sure I deserve a bit more than ' _nice job'_." She muttered with a scowl as Qrow let out a chuckle.

"Well you did well, but you haven't reached the top yet."

She huffed. "Well, I'd like to see you try in lesser…" she blinked realizing who she was talking to. "Oh forget it."

"Don't be all grumpy," Qrow poked at her twice with a stick prompting a twitch from her left eyebrow. "You aren't as old as I am, and I rarely grumble."

"Yeah right."

"What I'm saying, if you keep it up, you could be doing that in lesser time, your body builds up a great deal of endurance, and you are one step closer into being ready to go to the Academy."

"Yeah yeah." She muttered unenthusiastically. She sat up, her eyes taking an inquisitive gaze. "I keep wondering."

"What?"

"Why aren't the Grimm around here?" Qrow arched an eyebrow at the question. "You said that they were in every Kingdom, I'm just wondering why we haven't seen it."

"Do you want to see it?" he asked.

"It wouldn't hurt, I mean sure the drawings and lessons you have given helps, but if I don't meet them head on, how will I be able to know how to fight them?"

"Just because you haven't seen them doesn't mean they aren't around. They are like dormant creatures, looking for something to call them forth." Qrow looked in thought, scratching his beard. "In a weird way, they are like animals; they keep to themselves, unless when provoked or drawn by something."

"Can you pet one then?"

Qrow blinked at the odd question. "Of course not, they'll eat you."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, for some reason, they really hate humans." Ruby just stared at her uncle in curiosity. "That's why no matter what, Grimm being close to a human population is never a good thing."

Ruby looked to the leaves on the earth in thought. "I see."

"You shouldn't be that anxious to look at one." Qrow supplied, drawing her attention. "They are very dangerous you know."

"You said it yourself back then." Ruby muttered. "They have been around since you can remember, and if we do not discover how to defend ourselves against them, we could lose people we care about."

"In my defense I was drunk." Qrow grimaced, not believing he actually told her that. That was quite dark.

Ruby just let out a light laugh. "Yeah you were." She picked a leaf and slowly lifted it up towards the direction of the sun, noting the glow around its edges. She smiled. "But it felt like I wanted to hear that. I want to help people, and I want to fight the Grimm, so I can at least protect Yang, dad…" she glanced to him, "and even you."

"Even me? What does that mean?"

Ruby just smirked, feeling rejuvenated. She crushed the leaf in hand, stood up and began to stretch. "Heh, you wanted me to climb up to the top right?"

Qrow looked to her, and a nostalgic feeling went through his mind; fond memories with her mother crossing his mind. A smile emerged from his face as Ruby took up, faster than before.

He watched her departing figure and shook his head, wistful thoughts creeping through his mind.

 _If only you were here to see her, Summer._

…

Ruby grunted as she pushed herself to the top of the mountain, letting out a sigh of relief. She fell on her back in exhaustion, the cool winds from the top of the mountain causing her to exhale in comfort.

She then grinned.

"Yes! Haha, take that Uncle Qrow! I did it!"

She punched to the air multiple times and remained on the ground, not moving a bit. She closed her eyes and savored the cool atmosphere, resting for a brief moment.

It was nice.

"Hey Ruby!"

For the most part.

Qrow's voice echoed from the bottom of the mountain to Ruby whose eyes who scrunched up her face at the disturbance.

"Hope you aren't dead yet!"

Ruby just rolled her eyes and stood up slowly sighing in annoyance. She blinked, widening her eyes at the landscape that greeted her eyes. It was so beautiful, especially when she noticed the way the sun brought out the valleys and plains which were augmented by the autumn grassland.

So exhausted from her previous climbs, she never had the chance to experience the beauty of the land. A bright smile emerged from her face, as she closed her eyes and outstretched her hands.

Her ears took in the sounds of the chirping birds, and the sound the wind made as it moved through the forest.

She opened her eyes, about to start climbing down when she was sure she saw something in the distance, something she couldn't quite place. For some reason her vision was sharp, looking to the far distance to note something black moving towards a cave. For a moment she would have sworn it was a Grimm.

She blinked only to note that it wasn't there anymore.

"Huh." She mused and shook her head, looking once more to see nothing in the distance. "Must be my imagination."

Sighing, she looked down to her waiting uncle and prepared to climb down.

"Here we go."

…

"So how was it?"

Ruby's father asked, arranging the plates for breakfast on the table. The question caused Ruby to shoot a glare to Qrow's direction, the Uncle looking on in innocence.

"I'm pretty sure he wants to kill me and is finding subtler ways to do it."

"Subtler?" Qrow hummed in surprise as he took a piece of bread. "You tried a big word, impressive."

Ruby's face reddened as her eyebrow twitched remarkably.

"Be careful there Ruby, be sure you don't pop a vein from the headaches." Her older sister, Yang Xiao Long chuckled, dropping a flask right at the middle of the table. Her long blond hair was tied up, with her eyes showing amusement towards the situation in front of her. "Trust me I've been there."

"Blame him." Ruby pointed towards Qrow who didn't regard her comment and looked aloof. Her father just laughed out in response.

"In his defense you are always so easy to rile up."

"Oh come on dad."

"Yang was more receptive to my training methods." Qrow defended himself.

"Don't bring me into this." Yang pointed out, before sitting down. "You don't want to hear my answer."

"Yeah, let's be eating." Qrow grumbled using a spoon to dig into his food. "I have places to go."

…

"How's she coming along?" Taiyang asked leaning to a tree while Qrow who sat on a large rock kept hurling stones at intervals into a hole in a tree in the distance. The two were seen behind the house, the morning sun brimming through the day.

"Better than expected. She's very good at picking things up. Well, practically."

"I wouldn't have wanted her to be introduced to this so young. She's still a kid. Now, we're moving her up two years. It's almost like-"

"She's a special case." Qrow cut in with a frown. "The Fire Continent do not consider that. We aren't like them."

"But still," Taiyang sighed. "I thought that it ended with Summer."

"It's a good thing it didn't. It never ends. Sure they are now rare, unlike before, but the Silver eyes were always a power to behold against the Grimm. If we do not train her to be more receptive of her power now, it'll just be chaos."

Taiyang smiled wistfully to the distance. "I wonder how she would have felt about the whole thing."

"Summer?" Qrow let out a smile. "She'd have been so pumped that her daughter had such an awesome power."

Taiyang let out a laugh. "You right about that." A sad expression emerged over his face. "I so miss her, you know?"

"We all do."

Taiyang looked to him. "So, where are you going to?"

"Beacon." Qrow muttered, "I need to talk to Ozpin regarding her…situation."

"You're certain we can trust him."

"Yes. He's quite crafty," Qrow shrugged, "but who isn't nowadays?"

Qrow stopped throwing the stones and looked to him, noting the doubtful expression on his face. "She's learnt all she can at Signal. I know as a father you're worried for her. But she'll be alright. She would have Yang, and I'm pretty sure she'll blend in right on."

"I see the reason, doesn't mean I have to like it."

Qrow nodded. "I understand. You should tell her though, that she'll be leaving soon. From Vale I'll be heading on to Atlas. I need to go piss 'em off."

Taiyang just laughed as the mockingbirds birds flew across the forest chirping in the wind.

"Of course you do."

…

It was night and Yang was seen on her bed, across from her being Ruby.

"It's nice you know."

"What?" Yang asked looking to Ruby.

"You graduated from Signal, and you'll be heading to Beacon."

"I guess." She said, looking to the ceiling. "I'm kinda nervous about it all y'know."

"You?" Ruby looked surprised. "Nervous?"

Yang just laughed. "Yup. I guess… it's because I'll be meeting new people."

"That's quite a bummer."

"I'm not like you y'know." Yang scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I can hold a conversation with people without trying to kill them."

"That was one time, and it was his fault by the way!"

"Sure, sure."

Ruby just let out a smile on her bed. "It's going to be so lonely when you're gone."

"Dad will be here."

"I'm quite sure there are some things I can't talk to dad about."

"Like what?" Yang blinked. "A boyfriend?!"

"Shut up!"

Yang laughed out at the flustered look on Ruby's face. "You are so easy to tease." She then smiled. "I'm really going to miss this."

…

Ruby was seen in the clearing she was in a day before. She was with her Crescent Rose weapon strapped behind her with her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate.

Multiple bottles were tied at random locations in the trees surrounding her and she quickly unleashed her weapon, firing at incredible speeds towards the objects.

In seconds she was done, and the bottles were nothing more than broken pieces on the earth. Well, most of them.

Ruby opened her eyes and let out a smirk, noting an increased amount from last time. Her aim was definitely getting better. "Oh yeah!"

Hearing the creaking of the tree behind her, she turned to see that she had shot off a great piece of the stem, causing it to fall towards her.

She looked dryly at the falling tree, "Oh come on, not again."

She quickly shifted to the side, blinking with an aloof expression as the birds flew away from the tree before it crashed down.

"Sorry." She apologized to the birds while sheepishly scratching her head.

She then sheathed her weapon and whistled, walking with it towards the mountain. Qrow was gone for the whole week, and she wasn't going to slack off. She wanted to be a hunter, and nothing was going to stop her, not even a giant pile of rock.

And with that mindset, she began to climb.

…

Getting to the top was easier, and she actually appreciated what Qrow explained earlier. She was surprised that despite going through the regimens that her Uncle had designed, she still felt energetic.

Again she decided to stop and relax, noting that the top actually helped to calm her down. This was becoming her new favorite spot.

She sat down and enjoyed the view for a while, liking the way the morning sun reflected off the waters.

"Huh."

She looked to the distance, and she saw it again. Something black walking towards a cave. She blinked again and this time it didn't go.

 _Was that a Grimm?!_

Quickly getting to the base of the mountain she sped forth, not intending to let this one out of her sight. He uncle said that just because they hadn't seen one didn't mean they weren't there, and he said again, that the Grimm being close to the Human population wasn't a good thing.

Was that their hideout? Were they planning an attack? What were they doing so close to Patch?

For some reason, the need to head back home didn't register in her mind. The need to answer those questions brimming at the forefront.

And so she sped forth, dashing through the trees and branches to the cave she saw earlier.

Deep down, a little part of her was ecstatic. She was finally going to see one up close, and was going to decide what to do with it. She kinda wanted to pet one.

With the weapon she forged back in Signal, she was certain, no Grimm could stand in her way. She landed right in front of the cave and what she saw stunned her.

A human was seen right before the approaching Grimm and he couldn't move. She noted that his back was turned to her and for a second, she saw the full features of the Grimm that towered over him.

For a moment she froze, looking in awe and slight fear at the creature before her. But her eyes caught the human and she blinked, snapping out of her daze and took aim.

"Hey! Run!"

She fired, and it went right through its shoulder, drawing it attention as well as the human.

Naruto blinked at the girl close to his age who took aim again and fired, and this time, the blast went through the Grimm's head stopping the creature in its tracks.

Naruto turned to look at the Grimm, noting the whine that emerged from it, before it collapsed on the ground, and slowly dissipating to nothingness. He didn't move from his position, stunned that a human was close to his location.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Ruby asked, approaching him. For a moment, she was grateful that she wasn't too late, and that the Grimm hadn't killed him. She smiled internally at herself, proud of her achievement.

She was definitely going to be a hunter.

She blinked that he didn't reply, still looking forward at the Grimm's final remains evaporating to the air.

Was he still in shock? Back in school she learned that some traumatic events caused something bad to people. She forgot the proper term but she got the gist. And so she moved to snap him out of it.

Naruto was going through his own set of thoughts, and there weren't positive for the girl approaching him.

 _She killed it._

 _ **She's discovered us. What will you do now?**_

 _Kill her?_

 _ **I wasn't asking you for a question.**_

Naruto looked doubtful. _But… she's not-_

 _ **Did you see the way she fought? She isn't harmless, if she finds out about who you are, she'd try to kill you. We don't need that; no one, can accept us.**_

Naruto's eyes slowly ran cold as he became silent for a while, contemplating on what he should do. _I'll kill her then._

And a kunai slid from his wrist.

"Hey." Ruby was seen before him giving a light slap to the side of his face to bring him out of the shock she assumed he was under.

What happened next was unpredicted.

The wind blew by slowly, and for a moment, it was as if time had stopped.

For the two individuals, it seemed like they had been transported to another place, despite the fact that they were right there, in the forest, looking to each other.

Ruby's eyes glowed a vibrant white and Naruto's glowed red.

And at that moment, it seemed like the time had stopped. The only motion was that of the wind, blowing the autumn leaves through the region under the sunlight whose beams penetrated every region.

Then time resumed.

Ruby blinked, dropping her hand, not realizing what had happened at that moment. But Naruto stared at her in shock and slight fear. His heart started beating so powerfully, it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

The kunai initially in his hand, dropped to the earth as his hands trembled.

Ruby smiled at the fact that his attention was now on her. He was out of it, it seemed. "Hey."

Naruto's mouth opened, and it felt like a hoarse whisper.

"It's… I…t's gone."

Ruby blinked. "Huh?"

"It's gone."

He looked at the girl before him, and wondered who she was. Just in that moment, what had almost consumed him, was gone. He didn't know if it was completely, or partially. But one thing was clear at the moment.

Ruby looked to him. "W…What's wrong?"

Naruto still looked stunned to the black and red haired girl that was before him.

" **Kurama's… gone.** "

…


	6. A Moment of Light

_I first met her in autumn, Ruby Rose… Heh, at first, I didn't think much of her. I thought that she was nothing new, just another person who wanted to be a Hunter. I don't know what caused our paths to cross that day, but what she did…_

…

The unpredictable wind blew silently through the forest, taking the golden leaves of autumn to wherever it wanted to. Naruto looked at the Grimm before him, looking curiously at him.

Naruto was impassive to the creature before him, just looking at it as it slowly moved towards him.

"Can you talk?" he asked.

He wanted to know if he could communicate with it. He needed to know, if there was a reason that he met the Grimm before him. A Grimm that was strangely not antagonistic to his presence. A Grimm that moved cautiously towards him, like he was a predator. This was unlike the vicious creatures he knew back home.

He smiled mirthlessly. Could he still call it… his home? They all wanted him dead.

"Can you even hear me?"

Naruto observed the Grimm, and for some reason, he empathized with it, for some reason he could tell that the creature right before him felt lost.

Naruto then lifted his palm, letting it face the Grimm. The Grimm stopped at the motion, cautious at the human before it. Its head tilted slowly to the side, trying to access the situation. Naruto followed its gaze, never letting it out of his sight.

This was the first Grimm he had encountered as soon as he landed in Vale. And so far, it showed no desire to eat him.

A slow growl emerged from its throat, as Naruto took a step forward; his palm still facing him.

"Do you know what you are?" he whispered, the Grimm looking stunned towards him.

The Grimm let out a sound that caused Naruto to let a ghostly smile over his face.

"I too… do not know what I am?" said Naruto, to the unmoving Grimm as it stared forward to Naruto. It seemed like it was studying him, trying to make sense of what he was saying.

"Come to me." Naruto said, his voice almost taking a hypnotic tone. His eyes began to shimmer as the Grimm's body stilled, and it began to move.

"Hey! Run!"

Naruto blinked in surprise at the voice that interrupted the moment. The Grimm, before it could realize what was happening, let out a screech as a shot went through its shoulder. Naruto blinked in surprise and turned around to see Ruby looking fiercely towards the creature with her Crescent Rose aimed at it.

 _ **Help… me…**_

She let loose another shot, the projectile going through the Grimm's head. Naruto turned and looked to the Grimm, his eyes slowly widening at what he heard.

 _ **H…Help… us…**_

Naruto looked stunned at the dissipating remains of the Grimm. _Did it… just speak._

 _ **To you, it did.**_

 _Why?_

 _ **It finally found someone that could hear it. Someone that could listen to its cries, someone… that could understand its pain.**_

 _Just what are you creatures?_

 _ **Change.**_

Naruto noted the dissipating fragments of the Grimm's remains.

 _It called out to me, it was going to… talk to me._

 _ **And you didn't because?**_

 _She killed it._

 _ **She's discovered us. What will you do now?**_

 _Kill her?_

 _ **I wasn't asking you for a question.**_

Naruto looked doubtful. _But… she's not-_

 _ **Did you see the way she fought? She isn't harmless, if she finds out about who you are, she'd try to kill you. We don't need that; no one, can accept us.**_

Naruto's eyes slowly ran cold as he became silent for a while, contemplating on what he should do. _I'll kill her then._

And a kunai slid from his wrist.

"Hey." Ruby was seen before him giving a light slap to the side of his face to bring him out of the shock she assumed he was under, and at that moment, as he saw her eyes glow white, a cold feeling spread through his body.

 _ **What the- That's impossible!**_

 _What is?_

But there was no response this time. Naruto searched through the farthest reaches of his mind, for that voice, the voice that had always guided him. The voice that was slowly teaching him how to survive. The voice… that he depended upon to survive.

 _ **Kurama… Where are you? Answer me.**_

His eyes widened at the implications, looking to the fading white light from the girl's eyes before him. It was then he noticed her features.

She blinked in confusion, looking jaded for a bit, but it was only for a moment. She looked to him with a puzzled expression, like she didn't know what she did to him.

It was then he began to feel it.

Loneliness…

It had been a short time since he felt it. That moment in the prison, the moment when Kurama took heed. He was broken, and he didn't have anything to go on.

He was at his lowest, and then Kurama came to him, and then he wasn't alone.

That empty feeling that he always detested, scared him, and this girl was able to take his world apart in one go, and she didn't even seem bothered.

In that moment, he was scared. He didn't know what to do, he didn't know what exactly he was doing at that moment in time.

A time that felt, had stopped.

In that moment, he couldn't believe that…

"It's… I…t's gone."

She blinked at him. Did she think he was insane?

"Huh?"

"It's gone."

He looked at her before him, and wondered who she was. Just in that moment, what had almost consumed him, was gone. Was it complete, or partial? Was Kurama thrown to the deep recesses of his mind? Could Kurama come back?

She still looked to him. "W…What's wrong?"

How could she not know, how could she just look so aloof at what she had done? Didn't she know? That now…

" **Kurama's… gone.** "

…

 _ **A MOMENT OF LIGHT**_

"Who's Kurama?" Ruby tilted her head to the side, she didn't see anyone since when she came. Who was the Kurama he kept referring to? Naruto just shook his head, trying to compose himself. Kurama wouldn't want him to feel so jaded.

"Who are you?" he asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

Ruby smiled at the question. Finally, something she could answer. "I'm Ruby. You?"

"N…" he hesitated for a moment, before he replied. "I'm Naruto."

"Pleased to meet you!"

Ruby spoke while laughing nervously. She cursed herself for displaying that, a trait that in a way made it difficult to make friends. If it bothered Naruto, he didn't show it.

"Yeah."

"So," Ruby began, looking back to where the Grimm had died. "That Grimm huh."

"You killed it."

"Killed?" Ruby blinked before realizing that she was probably talking to a civilian. "Well, if you put it that way, but that's not it."

"What do you mean?"

"They are not really alive, you know." Ruby elaborated. "I don't know, but they are evil; I guess that's why they evaporate after I defeated it."

Naruto looked to her, wanting to listen to her thoughts. "Do you really think that they aren't alive?"

Ruby nodded, sheathing her weapon. "Yup, Uncle Qrow said that they were creatures who wanted nothing more than to kill and eat us I guess."

Naruto observed her and closed his eyes. He let out a sigh, letting an amused smirk grace his face. "That's funny."

Ruby looked to him. "What is?"

He looked to her once again. "That word, eat. You said they wanted nothing more than to eat us."

"Yea, didn't you see what it wanted to do to you?" Ruby pointed out the earlier situation in an attempt to buttress her point.

"Did you?" She looked confused at the question. He walked past her till he was right above where it had died. He bent down and placed his right palm on the leaf covered ground, closing his eyes. "Did you really see… what was happening?"

Ruby was bewildered at the way he was speaking to her. Like what she did wasn't necessary. "It wanted to kill you and I saved you, why are you being-"

"Another problem with that statement." Naruto shifted his head in the negative before standing up. "It wasn't."

Ruby blinked. "What?"

"It wasn't going to attack me." Naruto shifted his gaze to her eyes. "It never was; it was in pain, and you killed it."

"Are you okay?" Ruby asked, completely stunned by the change of events. "You aren't… You don't think…" She then looked slightly suspicious, noting the way he was acting. The conversation was not really what she was expecting. It was like he was actually in support of the Grimm. She took a step back, reaching slowly to her back. "Who are you?"

"When I first came ashore," Naruto ignored her, staring to the morning sun. "I could immediately feel it; the change in energy."

The fifteen year old girl looked to him. "Who are you?"

Naruto looked to her, noting her stance, and he remembered Kurama's words.

 _ **Did you see the way she fought? She isn't harmless, if she finds out about who you are, she'd try to kill you. We don't need that; no one, can accept us.**_

"It's funny…" Naruto let out a mirthful smirk. "No matter how much I try to ignore him. He's always right. I guess, that's why I keep doing it."

 _Even killing… them._

Ruby looked nervous, beginning to regret coming here. Where was her Uncle when she needed him? "Who is this Kurama?"

"Remember when you said, it was going to kill me." Loud stamps on the earth began to emerge from the back of the cave, and Ruby looked startled as a large Grimm emerged into the clearing, walking slowly towards them.

 _Just how many of them are here?!_

She began to take aim ready to fire only for Naruto to place his hand on her weapon and push it down.

She looked to him in shock. "What are you doing?!"

"I want you to look at them." Naruto said, looking into her confused and frightened eyes.

It was getting close, and it was going to eat them.

She protested, as the Grimm came even closer. "You don't understand!" She began to panic.

"What exactly?" Naruto asked in curiosity and that started to freak her out. This guy… he was dangerous.

Even though she had killed one, she still wasn't used to it, and one being closer to her did more harm than good to her psyche. "It'll kill us?!"

"And why do you think that?"

"Because they are monsters!" Ruby shouted out in anger and quickly removed her Crescent Rose from his grip and prepared to fire.

Just as her fingers were about to pull the trigger, she stopped, shocked that Naruto had stepped in between her and the Grimm. His faced directly on the nozzle of her weapon.

It was insane to Ruby, and the way he looked to her, it was impassive, like the current situation didn't bother him.

Just who was he?

"What are you doing?!"

"Showing you the truth." Naruto spoke simply. "If you still believe that they are monsters, pull the trigger right now."

"Are you crazy?" Ruby looked to him in total bewilderment. Just what was happening?

Naruto just replied. "Am I?"

"W…Who are you?"

"That's the third time you've asked me that question today."

"And you've said nothing!"

"How do you feel right now?" Naruto asked a frantic Ruby who was staring into his eyes, which seemed calmer than what she saw when she touched his cheek.

"What are you talking about?"

"Look behind me." The blond haired individual calmly said.

Ruby's startled gaze moved past him till it was now resting on the Grimm who was right behind Naruto. Her eyes was rooted at the creature up close, observing its every movement.

"What do you see?" Naruto asked.

"I…It's staring at me."

"And why do you think that?" Naruto asked silently. "Do you think…" Naruto's hand slowly reached for the High Caliber Sniper and slowly lowered it. "…it's because it can feel your fear?"

Ruby's eyes widened on its last words. " **Or your awe?** "

Naruto smiled at the reaction she had on her face. "Things do not seem so black and white anymore… do they?"

Ruby looked to him. "But… they kill people."

"Because people started to kill them first."

Ruby looked to the Grimm's direction, as Naruto whispered to her, the creature behind him. "They had no choice but to adapt, and since they were used to the negative feelings towards them, they responded in kind. Fear, Anger, Hate? It knows that. It's drawn to that. But Love, no, it's never experienced that. Happiness, Peace…? It's never experienced it."

Ruby looked stunned to him. "What are they?"

"Lost creatures." Naruto smiled and turned to look at the Grimm. He moved forward to the being that towered over them, yet he didn't flinch, or falter to Ruby's awe. He placed his palm towards it looking into the Grimm's glowing eyes.

Ruby's eyes widened further as slowly, the Grimm began to move its paw towards Naruto's.

They met and Naruto let out a smile at the creature. _I feel…_ His eyes looked stunned. _…your pain._

The creature looked to him and Naruto was stunned again as he heard its voice also.

 _ **I… feel yours… too...**_

A smile emerged all over his face as he nodded. He looked behind him to see Ruby Rose and gestured to her.

"I want you to meet someone."

Ruby began to unconsciously step forward towards a creature that she had heard countless of scary stories about. If someone was to name the top ten outrageous things that was going to happen in her life, touching a Grimm was not one of them, but here she was, about to touch one, and it wasn't frightening, it was thrilling.

Just like Naruto, she lifted up her palm to it and the Grimm reciprocated her action and her eyes slightly let out a white glow as their hands connected. The Grimm let out a sound reminiscent of a purr and Naruto let out an amused chuckle.

"It likes you."

Ruby laughed. "I can see that."

"They are lost creatures. But I can find them meaning. They were meant to be agents of change for us. Mankind has always wanted nothing more than to face its problems, not trying to embrace it. Had they done so, there wouldn't have any need for Hunters and Huntresses. Over the years, over decades… the Grimm has adapted to the hate, and so they feel hate. But if… if we can change that, how they feel."

Naruto smiled at her, "We can change everything."

In that moment, Ruby found herself stunned at Naruto, and for some reason, something drew her to his eyes; and something made her to empathize with him, for some reason, right now, at this moment, the world was bigger for her. It felt opened up, like she had found something, she felt like…

"For how long have you been able to do this?" she asked.

"Well, as long as I can remember I guess, but I didn't know of this until recently."

"How?"

"Kurama told me."

"Who's that?"

Naruto blinked at the way he was being free with her, and he clenched his fist. Did he really crave Human interaction that badly? He didn't want to say anything to scare her. He didn't want her to go.

"You wanted to know who I was. What if," he halted, "what if… you wouldn't want to know me if I told you?"

"Why do you think that?" Ruby asked.

"What if… you wouldn't want to be my friend?"

Ruby looked to him and smiled. "I thought… we already were?"

Naruto looked stunned to her and she began to laugh nervously, her pupils darting from left to right frantically. Naruto chuckled at the nervous tick.

He found it funny. It was a while since he was this free. The last time was…

She blinked, realizing something. "Hey," she smirked, dragging out of his thoughts. "How do you feel about climbing a cliff side?"

Naruto tilted his head in recognition. "Huh?"

…

Naruto looked in awe from the top of the cliff to the vast degree of landscape surrounding him. From the way the sun shone from the sky. It seemingly hit the land in a perfect color. And the breeze; it was cool and refreshing.

He could see why she liked this place.

"I'm surprised." Ruby admitted, a bit of a scowl on her face.

"About what?" Naruto inquired, sitting down on the cliff and looking across the landscape.

"How were you able to do that? Climb the cliff so easily?"

"I did something similar back when I was in school."

She looked interested. "You attended an Academy?!"

"Y…Yeah," Naruto smiled at her. She was a bit too excited about ordinary things. "You?"

"I do too!"

"Then why are you here?"

"It's the weekend."

Naruto blinked, Ruby sitting down right next to him. "And?"

"And, no school on weekends."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Huh? That's strange."

"W…What?"

"My Academy didn't really care for that y'know."

"What?!" Ruby looked agape. "What kind of monsters are they?! No one goes to school on weekends."

"Yeah tell that to them. Every day counts. That's their mentality."

"They are jerks." Ruby nodded.

Naruto just chuckled. "Yeah."

"So, in your Academy did you guys make your own weapons?" Ruby asked in giddiness.

"Well, in a way we already had weapons back at home or we bought one. Forging weapons was a long hassle I guess." Naruto said. He looked to her Crescent Rose. "You made that I'm guessing."

"Yup! My adorable and awesome Crescent Rose!" She removed it and began to change its various forms. "It can be a scythe, or an awesome sniper!"

"That's really cool. Long and short range all built into one."

Ruby nodded in glee. "Yup!"

"I had a stash of weapons." Naruto said, "But I haven't really found one that speaks to me."

"Uh, how do you fight?"

"Well I like to get up close and personal." Naruto supplied.

Ruby nodded in approval. "Awesome."

Naruto just smiled at her upbeat and bright personality. It was really starting to get infectious. For long, he had been with Kurama, he never appreciated the small moments like this. For so long, he never knew the value of human bonds. For so long…

"You know what would be awesome?! A sword that could turn in to a bazooka!"

"I think that's impossible."

"Is it?"

"It's impossible."

"Yeah." She admitted deflating a bit. "Oh!" she brightened. "How about a… huge hammer that could transform into a bazooka!"

Naruto looked to her, laughing lightly at her outrageous statements. "As long as it morphs into a bazooka huh?"

"Bazooka's are awesome."

"Then why don't you have it?"

"Please, a scythe that can transform into a bazooka? Pfft! That's ridiculous."

Naruto gave her a dry expression. "I can't believe that's where you draw the line."

They were so distracted by their interactions that they failed to note the time, the sun moving to the other side of the globe.

Naruto looked to her after a while. "Hey, Ruby."

"What?"

The two had settled into a comfortable silence, just enjoying the moment. Apart from her family, Ruby had doubt that she had interacted with someone to this degree. And it was nice.

"What we discussed when we met, and what you saw."

"Yeah?"

"I'd like it to remain between us."

Ruby blinked. "W…Why? Wouldn't you want people to understand you?"

"There's a time and place for that. But now, people fear what they do not understand." He looked to her. "They will find out, eventually. But I have to go about it at my own pace."

Ruby looked at him for a while and smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah, I got it."

Naruto gave her a toothy grin. "Thanks."

Ruby pat his shoulder. "What are friends for?"

…

"You were out much longer today. Dad was about to send to go get you." Yang commented, noting Ruby's upbeat attitude.

"I just liked training today."

"And you were just training." Yang asked in suspicion.

"Yup!"

"For some reason I don't believe that."

Ruby just stuck her tongue out as they sat down for dinner.

"Hey, Dad's gonna tell you something awesome."

"Awesome?" She blinked in glee. "Do I finally get-"

"No you do not get the bazooka."

Ruby deflated. "Then why am I alive."

Yang rolled her eyes at the dramatic teenager across her and concluded setting the table.

Taiyang walked in and sat down.

"Hey girls!"

"Yang said you had something awesome to tell me!" Ruby looked in curiosity and Yang gave an aghast expression to her sister.

"Unbelievable."

"W…What?"

"Couldn't you wait until we were done eating at least?"

"Well, now he knows. Come on Dad! What is it?!"

"Well, I guess… I wanted to tell you earlier today but for some reason you were training longer than usual."

"Well," Ruby blinked. "I'm beginning to like training."

"Huh." Taiyang arched an eyebrow. "Well, that's good."

"So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Well, Qrow spoke with the headmaster at Beacon, and you will be going with Yang to attend Beacon Academy."

Ruby blinked. "What?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

"My brain just died and woke up. It sounded like-"

"Yes, you are going with Yang and you will be a Huntress much sooner."

"That's awesome!"

"Right?" Taiyang smiled at his daughter. Some moments he just threw caution to the wind, if he could just see this kind of expression on his daughter's face. It made him happy.

"Great." Yang sighed at the excitement on Ruby's face. "Yeah, I'm sleeping peacefully tonight."

Ruby blinked. "Wait, Yang was going to Beacon tomorrow."

"Yeah she is."

"That means I'll have to follow her?"

"Yes."

"But I haven't packed, and-"

"I've taken care of that. Did you think your clothes just magically folded themselves?"

"Well I-"

Suddenly, the news didn't seem so great anymore. Not to be kidding, she was ecstatic that she was going to Beacon Academy, it was one step to being a Huntress. One big step.

The problem was she just met him today; Naruto. Someone who changed her outlook in just a day.

She wanted to see more, she wanted to hear more.

But now-

"Hey Ruby." Yang snapped her fingers before her younger sister. Ruby blinked.

"Huh?"

"You seemed jaded for a moment."

"Can you blame her?" Taiyang muttered. "She just found out something awesome."

"Y…Yeah." Ruby gave a strained smile and let out light laugh. "Just stunned is all."

Yang noticed her expression and asked. "Is everything alright?"

Ruby noted the worried look from Yang and realized that she was unsuccessful in hiding her feelings on the matter.

"Yes, it's just…" she let out a sigh. "It's sudden you know. My friends…"

While she trailed off, she realized there was only one of them that really mattered.

 _Naruto._

She looked in thought to the table.

Yang and Taiyang shared a look and Taiyang gestured to her.

Yang just placed her hand on Ruby's causing the youngest of the family to look to her. "I know it's a bit scary, but I'd be better knowing you'd be there with me."

Ruby smiled at her.

"It'll be scary, going there to a new place. Hell, even I get nervous about it. But it's nice, when you have someone to help in all that; someone that can make it seem like home, even if it's just a little bit. I have friends that aren't going to Beacon also, so I guess we have something to look forward to. I'll have your back, and you'd have mine." Yang grinned. "Besides, what are sisters for, eh?"

Ruby smiled at her genuinely. "Yeah."

…

 **The Next Day**

Ruby was seen early in the morning staring to the top of the cliff where she and Naruto stayed till evening the previous day. She was displeased that she didn't see him there. She moved to the cave where she had encountered him, and didn't see him.

She scoured through the forest, running in haste. She was looking for him, but she didn't see him.

 _I need to see him, before I go._ She thought, not knowing how much time had passed. _Just one more time. I need to-_

"Hey Ruby!" Ruby's eyes widened, turning to see Yang looking at her. "Enjoying a morning run? You were out for a while. Dad had to send me to make sure you were okay."

Ruby looked around the forest panting frantically. "I…"

Yang looked to her. "I've been looking for you. It's time we go."

"Y…Yeah." Ruby gulped in air and looked around again. "I was just…"

"Looking for someone." She whispered, closing her eyes in slight regret. _I'm… sorry._

"Come on." Yang placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Let's go. A new adventure awaits!"

"Y…Yeah." Ruby nodded and followed Yang back home but not before taking one last look at the forest, hoping he would just show himself.

Just where was he?

…

Naruto was seen in the night staring to the broken moon. He was on top of the cliff, the Grimm seen beside him.

"She's gone." He muttered. "I can… feel it in a way."

He smiled at the thought. "I was just beginning to like her."

 _ **She abandoned you.**_

Naruto just smiled. _It doesn't matter anymore._

 _ **This is why I am against it. You reveal yourself to someone, it makes you… vulnerable.**_

 _She might be here tomorrow._

 _ **Or the day after, and the day after, and the day after but still, you'd eventually see that I am right. Take your mind of her. You know I'm right. Now, let's focus on what's important…**_

Many more Grimm began to gather to his location as Naruto's gaze to the moon hadn't changed.

… _ **we have a world to change.**_

…

… _The next time I saw Ruby Rose, was when Beacon fell. She had displayed a power, something I already knew, but it seemed like she didn't. It was incredible, and beautiful._

 _I wonder… how she'd feel, knowing I destroyed it all…_

…


	7. The Grimm

_**THE GRIMM**_

 _I never believed myself to be a hero…_

 _But in a way, I wanted what was the best for the world. There are so few; people who have the power to change the destiny of the world; to hold it in their hands._

 _I believed… that all I ever wanted was to make the lines of hate so blurry, it was basically inexistent._

 _The Grimm… we were seen as Outcasts; abominations that cursed the world._

 _They all saw us as a creation from Nature, not knowing that they were the cause of it._

 _I also once thought that I wasn't the force behind my actions… I was wrong._

 _Very wrong._

…

It was night and two individuals were seen on the corridor of a house. They were sitting down, enjoying the glow from the celestial bodies. Naruto rest his head on his mother's lap, relaxing peacefully as she slowly ran her hands through his spiky hair.

"Have you heard of the Grimm Demons?" His mother asked.

Naruto blinked open his eyes, looking to her.

"Grimm Demons?"

"Nine of the most powerful Grimm, all across the world. They are so powerful they have been given a class entirely here in Konoha."

"Just nine of them?"

"Well, no one has ever seen all nine, just rumors which led to people assuming they were nine and with that, they gave them identities."

"I saw something like that in a book, I didn't read it though."

"They are myths however," Kushina smiled wistfully at him and looked to the skies, "and I still hope that they are."

"So which's the strongest one?"

"Strongest one?" Kushina arched an eyebrow at the question before letting out a light chuckle. "They are Nine because they range from One tailed to the Nine tailed Demon."

"There is an animal with nine tails?!" Naruto asked in awe.

"Not animal, Grimm." Kushina corrected touching his nose. "And it's the most powerful of all."

"Cool."

Kushina just laughed and shook her head, removing the disbelief in her eyes. Leave it to her son to find a topic such as that interesting.

"I wonder how it is." Naruto thought aloud.

"Well you've seen the pictures."

"I mean up close." Naruto explained. "I know it's something like a fox, though, I wonder…"

"Wonder what?"

"How did it become the strongest?"

"Who knows…"

…

 _I remember when I was someone, aiming to be a Hunter._ Naruto thought, looking from the top of the cliff where he and Ruby stayed through the day. _I had friends… I had family._

His parents, Kakashi, then Sasuke and Sakura went through his mind.

"Now that I think of it," he muttered, "they weren't that much, but they were enough I guess."

 _ **It's paradoxical.**_

Naruto blinked at Kurama's voice. "What is?"

 _ **The act of making bonds, when they're going to be broken eventually. If one has the heart and mind, goes through all the trouble to forge bonds, they must also have the strength to break them.**_

Naruto just sighed. "You're quite a gloomy fella."

 _ **That's the world for you.**_ Naruto narrowed his eyes. _ **Someone's coming.**_

Naruto looked behind him to see a woman walking towards him. _I knew that already._

She walked past the Grimm and stopped when she was right beside him, but she didn't sit, opting to stand while gazing to the landscape in the cool night.

"It's quite a wonderful sight." She said.

"It is." Naruto muttered in agreement, before shifting his gaze to observe the woman beside him. It was as if the moonlight brought forth her features; her deathly white skin glowing ethereally.

Her eyes shone vibrantly, the red irises glowing in the night.

For a while, Naruto was transfixed, coming to a revelation.

"You are… just like me." He whispered in surprise, looking to the woman who reciprocated the look.

"I'm Salem." She said, and the wind blew silently, making her black robes dance along.

She shifted her gaze to the Grimm that were behind her and walked to one of them. "You are coping quite well." Naruto followed her, curious at the individual before him.

"How did you find me?" Naruto asked.

"We can always find each other," she said, caressing one of the Grimm, which leaned in, letting out a pleased sound. "All we need to do… is concentrate. We are quite few."

"I'm Naruto." Naruto looked to her, observing how friendly she was with the Grimm but didn't say anything regarding that.

"I know."

"What are you doing here then?"

Salem let out an eerie smile. "I thought that was obvious?"

"Obvious?"

"We need to be together, now… more than ever."

"You said we were few."

"Of course… not much but, we are necessary."

"So there are really nine of us?"

"Nine?" Salem blinked. "Oh no, that's just an… old tale, twisted and fabricated across time. Currently, there are five of us in the world."

"Five?"

"Yes…" She looked to him. "One from each continent from what I've discovered. And you are from the Continent of Fire, am I wrong?"

Naruto just let out a brief smile. "You know quite a lot."

"I have to. How has it been?" she asked. "I know from experience… that the transition is quite rough on us."

"Transition?"

"It's always hard, and," she looked in understanding, "it always requires the death of a loved one, or your closest friends… or family, turning on you."

Naruto looked to her, observing the expression on her face. He didn't say anything to that statement.

She looked to him. "When I accepted what I was, it made it all better… in a way."

"What are we?"

"We are Grimm."

Naruto let out a mock smile. "I'm not."

Salem looked to him. "And why do you think that?"

"Because I'm Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto said with all certainty. "The Grimm is in me."

Salem closed her eyes and let out a smile. "Is that so?"

"Yes."

"You're wrong."

"In what way am I wrong?" Naruto asked. "I talk to it. I feel it in me," He looked internally, as an unpleasant expression was seen on his face, "it's like a poison, a-"

"You are the Grimm that came in possession of Naruto Uzumaki."

"W…What are you-"

"In a way… yes, you are Naruto Uzumaki. You did live his life."

Naruto was silent as Salem continued. "For us to survive, we need to inhabit the humans when they are young and so we become them. Had we gone into older people, it would have been impossible to adapt, and so, they would've perished; very few survive… but even then, they become problematic, psychologically deranged if one might say. You are right when you told me who you are. I, just like you had parents, I too had friends."

Naruto's steady breathing began to increase slightly. "Then who have I been speaking with?!" He looked to her in shock taking a defensive posture. "How do you explain that?!"

"That's a symptom that manifests as soon as we are beginning to come in terms with your power. It's an after effect of our situation. You started being aware of your identity when a conscious part of you started displaying your semblance; your eyes glowing red. Slowly and slowly it began to awaken, and here you are."

"But I-" Naruto slowly widened his eyes in realization of Sakura and Sasuke's deaths. "What I did-"

"There is an aspect of you," Salem explained, moving towards him, "an aspect that knows of its true identity, and so, it begins to command you subconsciously, and your human side, the side who has family, friends, the side that thinks this is all wrong, fights for control, but eventually, you succumb to your nature. You don't really think that there is a being in you;" she stopped before him looking to his stunned features, "it's all in your mind, a psychological effect. That's why I said that we need to inhabit the humans when they are young, with time, we assimilate. But in later cases, well, it's not a good thing."

"B…But I saw it…" Naruto stammered, "it was a Nine tailed-"

"That doesn't exist." Salem said. "As I said, you concocted that image in your mind. The voice you hear, the Grimm you think you speak to, is all you."

"But she-" Naruto began, thinking of Ruby. _What did she do?_

"She?" Salem arched an eyebrow.

Naruto swallowed thickly, as if a huge layer of sand coated his mouth. He couldn't speak, his mind greeted to a myriad of thoughts. Of all of them, one kept resounding.

 _ **I'm… a Grimm?**_

Salem began, "What we-"

"No!" Naruto shouted at her, prompting a frown on her face. "T…That's impossible! I had…" Naruto's pupils darted around frantically. "I had a life! I had friends, I had family… I-"

"So did I."

Sasuke and Sakura went through his mind, a look of absolute horror gracing his face. "You are saying I was the one that killed them?! You are saying I-" Naruto halted, unable to complete the words, not able to face the truth. Just why did his life take a sharp twist at this moment?

"That's a lie! I am **not** a monster!"

He accepted that Kurama existed. He had accepted that there was a being in him that was responsible for it all. He knew that although he might have done it; he never intended to. But now, things were much more terrifying.

He was a monster?

"I understand that you are confused right now,"

"Confused?!" Naruto looked to her in anger. "Confused?!"

"What I am saying," Salem tried to explain, to calm him down, "is that there wasn't any being that was in you all this while, it was all you. People do not know of that, and so they theorize, which lead to them believing it as truth. They moment you came into the possession of Uzumaki Naruto, you became him. You lived his life, and you made his bonds."

"But I-"

Salem had an understanding expression on her face. "I too lived a life. I was a little girl… and I had no desire to become a huntress. I didn't have any motivation, any goal, all I wanted was to live in peace, and to grow old; a boring life if I was to be honest with myself." She smiled in nostalgia as memories seeped in.

Naruto looked to her, listening to her story.

"My powers began to manifest when I was young. It was quite random… I would be playing with my friends and for some reason, my eyes would glow, and before I knew it, the Grimm would attack."

Salem moved past him till she was right on the cliff overlooking the vicinity. "I didn't know what I was doing. It didn't matter. My parents had an idea of what was happening, and they tried to hide it, to protect me, but eventually," she gave a wistful smile, "it didn't take long till someone put two and two together."

She let out a soft exhale.

"The people who I knew; who always smiled at me when I went to their stalls, the very same people who gave us food in celebration of the Vytal Festival, surrounded our home with pitchforks, weapons, and torches."

Naruto had an expression of disbelief at what he was hearing.

"They wanted me dead, a little girl. They said that I was an abomination, and that with my death, the Grimm would no longer emerge."

Naruto looked sympathetically to her, trying to imagine what it felt like, and a part of him did.

"Their true nature is revealed when fear seeps in; at that moment, you see them for who they truly are. My parents, despite the fear, showed that they loved me; but them, I saw their faces. Horror, fear, disgust." Salem let out a strange smile. "My parents tried to protect me, but they failed, and they died, still trying to protect me. They never blamed me, they never tried to show that I was a problem to them. They always loved me."

She closed her eyes in thought.

"My rage at their death, was the reason why I am alive today. That was when I discovered what I was."

Naruto asked silently. "And the people?"

She looked to the skies. "The people… I could barely hear them. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts when the Grimm tore the land asunder."

She looked to him.

"The rage I felt… the rage that clouded my eyes as I held my parents, blocked me from everything. It made me want nothing more than their destruction, and they were destroyed." Naruto looked down in thought. "Just like you, I was human once, just like you, I lost my loved ones, and that is not a bad thing. I realized… that it was necessary."

She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, gaining his full attention.

"We are the bridge between the humans and the Grimm. We are the only ones to understand the fragility of both sides, and the strength of both sides. We are the balance, and we are the change."

Naruto looked in uncertainty to Salem's eyes as the moon glowed over them. The moment was highlighted by the Grimm, eerily surrounding them.

" **We are the Grimm, and that's the truth.** "

…

Salem sat down at the head of the long table that was surrounded by multiple chairs. The sky outside the huge building was blood red; the entire region saturated with an ominous miasma. Right on the earth surrounding the large building were multiple black pools that were birth places for the Grimm.

Naruto was seen on the other end of the table opposite Salem. He was looking through the window to observe the landscape of the region around him, deep in thought. His expression was hidden and the other occupants looked in interest as to what was going on in the mind of their newest addition.

"You haven't said anything since you've arrived." Hazel said.

Hazel Rainart was on the chair to the left of Salem's. Opposite him was Dr. Arthur Watts and Cinder Fall, and sitting right next to him was Tyrian Callows.

They all looked to Naruto, who had his back turned to them.

"When one finally gets the time to think," Naruto began, his eyes seen to be closed, "It all slowly becomes clear."

He turned and looked to each and every one of them, accessing them within his mind. His eyes stopped at Cinder Fall, looking in a slight surprise.

"She's not one of us." He said in observation and confusion.

"She's useful." Salem replied simply. "And she's necessary."

"You said, that there are only five of us in the world." Naruto said, prompting a nod from Salem. "Is there any chance… that there are more out there."

"No." she said. "We are all there is."

"You sure have balls," Tyrian said in irritation, slamming his palms to the table, "talking to the goddess like that. If she so wishes I could happily separate your head from your shoulders! It wouldn't be much of a hassle considering-"

"Be quiet, Tyrian." Salem said without looking at him, watching Naruto instead, who was engaged in a staring contest with her. She wondered what was going through his mind. Since he came, he was silent, keeping to himself. It had been two months since she met him in the forest back in Vale. Two months spent making sure he was accustomed to his identity, and after she made sure that he was ready, she had brought him back to their headquarters, to meet the others like him which was this moment.

It was quite difficult, locating each of them and convincing them of who they were, eventually bringing them all under one roof, but she was pleased at the way things were coming along.

Tyrian let out a displeased grunt and retreated into his seat, observed keenly by Naruto.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto said with a bow, Tyrian letting out a scoff in response.

"I'm Arthur Watts, Salem calls me doctor; you can call me whatever you please."

"I'm Hazel Rainart." Hazel folded his arms, nodding in approval. "It's not every day you meet people like you."

Arthur nodded in agreement, "I agree. When Salem was away for months, I kept wondering what was keeping her from returning. To think it was you all this while."

"I'm Cinder." Cinder said, prompting a nod from Naruto.

"The useful human, right?" Naruto said prompting an amused expression from Cinder.

"Yes."

Naruto looked to the rest of the numerous chairs. "Just how many of us were there?"

"Even I don't know that." Salem said. "But we were more than this."

Naruto shifted his gaze to Tyrian who had a maniacal expression towards him. The edges of Naruto's mouth twitched up a bit as a knowing look graced his face.

"So," he wondered, looking to Salem. "When do we begin?"

…

"For how long have you been working with her?" Naruto asked Arthur Watts who was seen with him walking down the steps of the building.

"I've known her for almost all of my life."

Naruto looked to him while Arthur continued. "You could say I was with her since the beginning. And we have started this, locating and observing each and every one of us."

"Hmm." Naruto said while he moved down. "And what exactly does she want?"

"Change." Arthur said, eliciting a humored chuckle from Naruto. "If one takes the time to look around Remnant, one might say we got the worst time to be alive. Everything is a waste, a remnant of a world that was vibrant; a world that was beautiful. I believe we were created to prevent that."

"I'm having a hard time believing she wants to create rainbows in the sky."

"For one to start afresh, they must destroy the existing system."

Naruto stopped and looked to him.

"She wants the five Continents under her." Naruto said simply. "That's ambitious. They wouldn't just watch her take it from them, y'know."

"Not everything needs to be solved by brute force." Arthur Watts supplied as the two individuals resumed walking. "Sometimes a nice talking to can get the job done."

"Not in my Continent." Naruto said with certainty. "They are quite fixed in their ideals."

"They'll change their minds." Naruto mused and observed the walls as they walked down the stairs, on them were portraits of people.

"What happened?" Naruto looked to Arthur who arched an eyebrow, seeking clarification.

"Regarding what?"

"Regarding our number."

Arthur nodded in understanding and observed the framed photographs. "War."

Naruto looked to him. "War?"

Arthur kept looking ahead. "Between the Grimm and the Silver eyed warriors."

Naruto's eye's stilled for a moment and he stopped again.

"What?"

"The silver eyed warriors are the bane of the Grimm, possessing powers that can suppress the Grimm in an instant; wielded well, and they can control us."

"Silver eyes?"

"They all have silver eyes." Arthur elaborated to Naruto who let out a slight smirk in thought. "We found data that says that we were involved in a war with them, a war that cost both them and us. And just like us, there are quite a few number of them. None of them have been sighted recently, so the theory is they are extinct."

"Huh." Naruto looked in thought. "They have the power to stop us huh?"

Arthur looked to him in examination. "What is it?"

Naruto looked to him and smiled, "Nothing."

Arthur nodded in understanding and looked to the door, "Well here we are."

Naruto stepped outside through the front door and he noted the landscape of red sands with crumbling rocks and crystals jutting out of the earth. The wind whistled through the region, as black birds squawked unnaturally. He could smell the dry baked earth and taste the grit in the atmosphere while he walked across the barren landscape towards one of the Grimm pools.

He observed the thick fluid that seemed to pulse with life.

"Mercury and Emerald find it displeasing." Arthur commented looking to him. "What do you think?"

Naruto didn't comment, observing the pool that bubbled after a short time. "I have to get in there, right?"

"You need to. It's necessary. Your abilities will be much more familiar if you do."

"It all changes… when I step out of it."

"For the better."

Naruto looked at the pool with a nostalgic expression.

"I always thought that I always had a chance to be a hero," he said, "to be like those people in the stories; people who saved others from the Grimm, people who were praised all over the world."

Arthur looked to him. "We all had dreams before this." He said, gaining Naruto's attention. "Sometimes something bigger than you could ever expect comes our way; and it requires much more from us."

Naruto looked to the pool. "Something… bigger huh."

…

The wind whistled through the region as Salem looked down from the window above her. Arthur was seen besides her, observing the pool that Naruto had gone into.

"How long has he been in there?"

"Longer that all of us." Arthur commented. "Do you think it's possible he's-"

"Impossible." Salem said. "He will not allow himself to die; his determination will take him far."

"Will he ever find out?" Arthur asked looking to her. "Regarding-"

"He will never know." Salem said looking down to the pool. "What happened was to his benefit." She looked to him. "And it becomes worth it when we achieve our goal. Now look," she said, looking back down, "observe his rebirth."

The pool was still, unmoving in the airy night, before it rippled outward from the center. A hand slowly emerged from the thick viscous black liquid and used the edge of the hole to pull himself outward. His entire visage was coated in the black liquid as it was slowly absorbed into his body.

Naruto let out a soft exhale, his whisker marks, thickening before it receded slightly. He looked to the right, noting Salem and Arthur looking at him impassively.

"How do you feel?" Salem asked, taking in his features. He was more muscular than before, and his hair was spikier; but other than that, there wasn't much change. The aura around him though…

She looked to Arthur to note a bead of sweat emerging from the side of his head.

Naruto let out a grin as his fangs seemed more pronounced. He opened his eyes, exposing glowing red pupils that shone in the night.

" **Never been better.** "

…


	8. Crooked Views

_**CROOKED VIEWS**_

"Here." Blake crouched to the ground to clear a pair of fallen leaves on the ground. Ruby who was right behind her moved forward and looked down to see the freshly made tracks on the ground.

Three. They had counted three tracks of the Grimm, and from the mission, the students needed to effectively track and kill them. Well they had an obligation to kill one, but they never said they couldn't aim higher.

Considering the competitiveness of the class they were in, they were all going to try and kill more than the other.

Ruby wondered. How long had it been? Months?

Like the current wind, time just blew past her, and the students had all grown in leaps from what they were when they first joined the Academy. This was their first mission, a mission into the wild. They had learnt all they needed to, and now was the time for them to put their skills into practice.

"There are three of them." Blake said, before standing up and looking to Ruby who looked withdrawn, deep within her thoughts.

"Are you okay?" she asked, noting her countenance.

At the absence of a reply, Blake snapped her fingers before Ruby.

"Hey Ruby."

Ruby blinked and looked to Blake in surprise.

"Blake?" She blinked again. "Is something wrong?"

"I should be asking you." Blake said. "You've always been out of it since the classes, but we need your full attention here; we are tracking three Grimm."

"Three?" Ruby asked. "I thought it we are expected to get one."

"I really don't care about it too, but we've been searching for hours now, and this one decided to move with others. Besides," Blake smiled, "No one said anything was wrong about going bigger. I'm sure the other groups are having the same thing through their minds."

"Should we be worried?" Ruby asked, "That they might be too much?"

Blake shifted her head in the negative. "Headmaster Ozpin said they wouldn't be above our capabilities, so I don't see the need." She looked around. "We need to get ahold of Weiss and Yang, we have the tracks of the Grimm."

"You sure know a lot about hunting, don't you?" Ruby said with a smile, to which Blake nodded, looking to the trees.

"I know quite a bit."

"You learnt it back home?"

Blake's body stiffened, not giving a reply to Ruby's question. Instead she said, "Shoot the flare, Weiss and Yang should be close by, the Grimm is right ahead. We need a plan if we are going to quickly defeat them."

Ruby just sighed and drew her Crescent Rose which was already in its sniper format. Blake was always quiet about her past, not needing to share memories regarding her home, if she had any. Ruby had always respected privacy, knowing that eventually, Blake would trust them enough to reveal whatever it was she was hiding. She took out a special type of dust from her pouch and inserted it into her weapon, pointing the nozzle to the skies.

She pressed the trigger, letting off a thin stream of high velocity smoke to the skies.

"How far are the Grimm?" Ruby asked, bringing down her weapon.

"The three of them shouldn't be that far off. We need to ambush them, we will have a surprise factor to our benefit and we can use that to kill them off quite quickly."

"Right." Ruby just gave a humorless smile and looked to the tracks, noting their deepened indentation on the earth. "Do you ever think there must be a way to save them?"

Blake looked confused, turning to their team Leader. "Save? What are you talking about?"

"The Grimm."

Blake blinked, letting out a surprised chuckle from her lips. Leave it to Ruby to joke in the situations such as these. It was quite a bizarre thought. "Why do you think we need to save them?"

"Aren't you curious as to how they came about, or do you think that they just appeared out of thin air? They are rather strange, aren't they, beings that disappear after being killed."

"I don't think it matters." Blake surmised. "It's pointless to think about it."

"Why?" Ruby asked, trying to pass something across. "I'm sure there was a time that there was no Grimm, no Hunters, just us. Aren't you curious if there was a purpose for them, as to why they are here?"

Blake arched an eyebrow. Was she actually serious? "This isn't like you Ruby?"

"Nothing is how it used to be?"

"Nothing?" Blake narrowed her gaze to Ruby who had a serious expression on her face. She really was serious. "What are you talking-"

"Hey guys." Weiss called out, stepping into the clearing with Yang. "We saw your signal, have you seen it?"

Blake observed Ruby for a brief moment and shook off the thoughts in her head before looking to Weiss and Yang.

"Yes, if we follow their tracks, we will be unto them in no time." Blake said, gesturing to the tracks. "There are three of them."

"Haha! Awesome!" Yang said in glee while she smashed her fists together. "It'll be challenging at least. Right sis?"

Yang tapped her younger sister's back playfully, who just let out a smile. "Y…Yeah."

Blake just sent Ruby a look before looking back to the tracks. She was the lead right now, considering she was the most adept in tracking.

"Follow me, and be quiet."

…

From the distance the waterfall had been like a silent white stream cascading over the rocky outcrops. As they had drawn closer, the noise had increased steadily, until they were only a few hundred meters away. They could no longer even shout to one another over the deafening roar of the water.

Closer still they drew until they were in the plume of water vapor that hung over the plunge pool and in only minutes, they were as wet as they would have been in any rainstorm. Their hair clung to their heads and around their faces, but no matter how wet they became, it could not dampen their spirits. They stood in awe.

Blake who was in front, drew their attention by waving to them and pointing to the top of the cliffs. They needed to climb.

Ruby arched an eyebrow. This was not the gentle sort of water fall one might see in a pompous home garden, it was the kind where torrents of water are poured over rocks hard enough to crack one's skull and mash the brains on the way down, then swirl in a plunge pool below, deep enough to drown you is they had survived the fall. From the bottom it was beautiful, but on the way up, it was brutal and terrifying.

Despite the fears, they had made it to the top. Ruby was the last to climb and as soon as she was helped up unto the top of the cliff, Blake instructed her to be quiet, pointing to the distance.

Slowly, the team hid behind a huge outcropping rock that hid their presence from the Grimm. The humidity in the air, followed by the thin atmosphere, aided in making their scents unable to be tracked.

The rounds of the clashing waterfall was still felt in the distance, and Blake used that sound to hide her voice, effectively communicating with the group.

The Grimm were spotted in a clearing, moving slowly through the rocks. Ruby observed them, noting that the two of them moved on their four limbs, led by a much larger Grimm that was bipedal. Ahead of them was a deep ravine that was very narrow, a stream of water flowing through it. She looked through the landscape, trying to remember what it was like, back home, back with Naruto.

It was unbelievable, that in just a day, he managed to change her world view. She knew that the people in her team were affected in some way by the Grimm. Even her mother was killed in a battle with them. So she wondered if it was possible to show them what Naruto showed her. If it was possible to change their views, the way Naruto changed hers.

The thing that bugged her the most was that she wondered if she was going to be able to show them, if what happened that day was able to repeat itself. Sighing, she went down from the rock to the earth, looking to her sitting teammates. She had observed the terrain.

"So," Blake asked Ruby who was the Leader of Team RWBY. "What should we do? How best do you think we can kill them? I've pretty much done my job."

The members looked to Ruby who rubbed her eyes, before letting out a sigh. She picked up a sharp stone that was lying right beneath the rock they were using to hide and drew the ravine on the earth.

"There is a narrow path just ahead of them." She began. "All we need to do is to lure them into it. From the size only one of them would be able to pass through at a time. From what I've seen, the one on two legs is probably their Leader so we need to get it first. It's probably tougher than the others, so we need to be careful."

"I and Blake can take care of the biggie." Yang suggested. "While you and Weiss can kill the other two."

Weiss nodded in agreement. "That's okay. If you are taking too long, I and Ruby can move to support if the Leader is stronger than suspected. And if we are taking longer you can come and help us."

"While I agree with that," Ruby mused, "I want you to drive the big one straight to me. I need to try something."

The team looked surprised, and Blake narrowed her gaze.

Weiss looked confused. "What's that _something_?"

"Even I don't know, but, I feel this is the best chance to see if it's possible."

Yang looked to the rest of the members, unsure of this decision, not to mention she was a little bit worried for Ruby. "Are you sure about-"

"I can only explain it if you see it okay." Ruby said, "I don't know what to say only that you should trust me. I wouldn't be so crazy if I didn't have a reason."

Yang blinked and looked to Blake and Weiss, noting their silence. "W…Well, say something."

"I don't know what to say other than this is weird." Weiss looked to Ruby. "I don't understand Ruby. This is a more dangerous move."

"It's quite simple." Ruby said. "I'll go around them and wait right at the end of the ravine, and you guys chase the big one right to me."

"What are you trying to do?" Blake asked.

Ruby looked determined. "Make you all listen. Look, I know this sounds strange and stupid and risky but I have to do this, I need to do this."

The moment was silent while the team deliberated on the issue. Blake knew it had something to do with their discussion earlier. Was there really a way to save them? She wondered. It was not a thought she would have envisioned in a thousand years. Deep within her mind, she knew that the Grimm were threats, and they needed to be killed. But still, despite all that, she didn't say anything to the others regarding what Ruby had asked her earlier simply because Ruby hadn't said anything. If Ruby really had a way, perhaps then she could try it. Not to mention this was the only way she could see if it would work or not, considering this was the first Grimm they encountered.

"Sure thing." Blake said, stunning Yang and Weiss.

"And here I was thinking you were the voice of reason." Yang said to Blake as Weiss nodded.

Blake just shrugged as Ruby looked as surprised as Yang and Weiss. "If she wants to try something, by all means we should let her. If a Professor was here, he'd probably shoot her request down."

"Damn right." Weiss supplied.

"But," Blake said, looking to Ruby. "She's the Leader. And I think I've known her enough to tell when she's serious, and I'm sure she isn't backing away from this. So, let her do it. We'll be close by to watch her and step in if something goes wrong."

"Just what are you trying to do Ruby?" Yang asked in worry as Ruby smiled back at her sister.

"You'll see."

…

The wind blew softly, through the ravine. If one had focused well enough, the faint sounds were similar to the wind blowing softly through the holes of a flute. And as peaceful as it seemed, the atmosphere was rather ominous. True to the plan, Ruby had managed to snake her way around the Grimm and moved till she was right above the edge of the ravine.

Naruto had done this right in front of her, how hard could it be? She wondered.

She made her way down, noting the smooth feeling of the rocks. She was very careful, knowing that if one wasn't careful, a rough and painful fall was imminent. She wanted to prove that the Grimm weren't the monsters as everyone was made to believe, and if she was able to prove this to her friends, she was going to be able to prove it to the world.

Sometimes, she always wondered if what had happened that day was a dream, if it was all an imaginary construct in her mind. And for that reason, she was afraid that it was not going to work. If it didn't, what then was ahead for her, what could she look forward to?

She knew the chances of seeing Naruto were slim to none, but deep down she held out a hope, a feeling that he was still there, in the forest, waiting for her to come back, no matter how delusional it sounded. She dropped to the bottom of the ravine, her boots splashing the water outward. Ahead of her was the path through which the Grimm was to approach, if everything went according to plan.

She looked behind her to note the crevice through which the water was flowing from, and she was certain, if she looked deeper into the crevice, a cave unexplored was there. She shook her head, not wanting to be sidetracked. She wondered how things were going over there, wondering if they were successful in driving the Leader of the Grimm towards her. But she trusted them, and she waited, listening to the wind that emerged from the crevice as it resonated with the stream that moved towards the cliff side.

She had to be patient as Qrow taught her. Focusing her breaths, controlling the inhale and exhale that she channeled through her body. She wanted to recover that feeling she had when she touched the Grimm, the feeling of thrill, awe, fear and excitement.

She focused deep within herself, trying to draw that piece of herself to the surface, the piece that she felt was buried deep within her mind.

It approached.

The Grimm's thundering steps began to move towards her. It was distant, but she could feel it, the other two were not with it, being occupied by Yang, Blake and Weiss. The sounds slowly became louder, and even she could feel the slight tremors in the earth. It was quite big, she thought.

The Grimm came into view, a few paces away from Ruby. She looked to the creature, its teeth snarling against her while it approached on its two limbs.

Its presence was intimidating. Easily towering above her, emitting growls from its mouth as it approached.

Still, despite the fact that her heart beat a million times per second, despite the fact that a second felt like hours, she persevered, a goal deep in her mind. Ruby Rose was always determined when she sets her mind into something, and here was no different.

Naruto changed her life, and this moment was going to shape it for her. She always felt that despite the friends that surrounded her, despite the love from her family, despite the Academy, she felt that it wasn't enough, there was something bigger, calling out to her, and she was going to find that out.

Before she could realize it, the Grimm was mere inches from her, a black miasma of terror emerging from its skin.

 _Just why are you in our world?_ She thought in hope. The creature slowly tilted its head, accessing her, and slowly, Ruby reached out for it. The moment was silent, the streams being the only thing that showed that time was passing.

She reached out in hope that it would also reach for her. She knew that her guard was completely down, knowing if it wanted to kill her, it would have no resistance. This was a gamble, and she was willing to risk her life on it.

Slowly, her eyes began to widen as the Grimm also began to reach for her.

It was happening!

And in that moment, unknown to her, her eyes shimmered.

"Oh my! Ruby look out!" Yang yelled out in alarm at the scene, jarring both Ruby and the Grimm away from the moment. The Grimm snarled, looking to Yang and back to Ruby in rage.

"No." Ruby muttered.

The next thing she could feel after feeling weightless was crashing against the smooth rocks at the side of the ravine. The Grimm had given her a powerful strike to the side and at that moment while she dropped to the stream, she couldn't feel anything other than a loud whirring in her head.

 _No._ She thought as the Grimm approached her, intending to bite through her, its teeth dripping with drool. The sounds of a rope moving through the air drew its attention as Blake sent a rope which curled round its neck, stopping it from finishing its task. She was seen at the top of the ravine pulling with all her strength.

The Grimm clawed in protests trying to cut of the seemingly durable rope. It began to gag as Ruby looked to it, unable to move at the moment.

 _No._ She thought blearily, her vision covered by darkness in short intervals. _No, it's not…_

Yang roared out as she engaged the Grimm which was struggling with her powerful fists. The attacks were non-stop, the older sister not intending to risk holding back. The Grimm could not attack, and it could not defend. It could only feel the punches rippling through its body.

Feeling pleased Yang quickly jumped away as Weiss quickly sped forward with her sword in tow. She cleaved right through the Grimm, which froze immediately.

Ruby watched, drifting into unconsciousness as the Grimm dissipated into nothingness.

"Ruby!" Yang moved to her sister, followed by Weiss. Blake who was at the top of the ravine, recoiled her rope and used it to jump down. "Ruby!"

Ruby looked to Yang as black began to surround her vision. "N…No, it was… it was not…" she trailed off into unconsciousness as Yang called after her in alarm, trying to ensure that she was safe.

"Ruby!"

In Ruby's mind, it was another thing entirely.

While the Hunter prospects deliberated on what had just happened, deep down in the cave right past the crevice, soft growls was heard as multiple red eyes glimmered in the darkness.

…

 **On a brief hiatus due to exams, will be back in approximately two months' time.**


	9. Resonance

_**RESONANCE**_

"Well, we can't go back down, now that Ruby's unconscious." Weiss said looking down from the edge of the cliffs to the base of the waterfall. From up there it wasn't looking pretty; a single fall would kill them quite easily. "Even with my semblance it's risky."

Blake was seen observing the landscape while Yang was watching over Ruby with care. Ruby's unconscious face looked pained as her forehead was reddened.

"She's getting feverish." Yang said removing the back of her hand from Ruby's forehead. "We need to find a way down, so we can take her to the hospital."

"There should be a path that could lead down to the base." Blake said, pointing to the ravine that they had trapped the Grimm earlier. "That ravine had a stream down there, it must lead somewhere. I'm not sure, but-" she sniffed the air, and her eyes widened. "This is bad! I can sense a number of Grimm converging around us!"

"H…How many?!" Weiss asked, looking around in alertness.

"I don't know." Blake said a worried expression on her face. "But they're much."

"Perfect, just perfect. We need to get out of here, fast." Yang said, lifting and fitting Ruby onto her back. She grunted, Ruby's weight a bit much. _How can she be so heavy?_ Yang thought in bewilderment.

"I'll go ahead and scout the cave." Blake said in a hurry, "We need to make sure it's safer than what's coming."

"I'll stay back with Yang just in case." Weiss said while they headed quickly towards the ravine noting the water emerging from the large crevice.

Blake crouched and looked through the crevice into the cave, her sharp eyes peering into the darkness. The shadows of the occasional stalactites and stalagmites as well as cave mounds were distracting. Sometimes, she could swear they moved a bit. She shook her head, aiming to clear her vision and look down to the routes. She needed to have a sign that there was a way out. She tried following the path of the water but it proceeded deeper into the cave so she assumed it was not feasible to move through.

Her pupils dilated as soon as she saw a beam of sunlight in the distance and she smirked. There it was.

"Blake!"

She leaned back quickly and looked towards Yang and Weiss. "What is-" Her nose twitched and her eyes widened. On top of the ravine were numerous Grimm looking down towards them, growling intermittently.

They looked to the way out of the ravine to see the Grimm approaching towards them. There was no way out.

"They are so much! W…What the hell is happening?!" Weiss asked in shock. "This isn't normal at all. Is something drawing them here or something else?!"

"Blake." Yang asked looking to the Grimm across them that was heading towards them slowly. "Which is safer?" Blake bit her lip and looked to Yang and Weiss who looked expectantly. She didn't have time to scout the cave properly, but there was a way out. Was it feasible?

"Well?!" Weiss asked.

"Well, there is a way out." She said, prompting slightly relieved expressions from Yang and Weiss. "It is sunlight, but we have to go down to get there. It seems safer than the cliffs, they are slippery and considering Ruby's helpless right now, we can't head down. But the Grimm might be in there. I don't have enough time to-"

"Right here we are trapped!" Weiss said, looking at Blake who had an indecisive expression. "We might survive if we head down there, but we wouldn't survive if we stay here. We don't know what's drawing them here, but I'm sure this wouldn't be the last of it. We can move through the crevice, but the Grimm are too large. They wouldn't be able to pass through."

"Oh screw it." Yang said, looking to the cave in determination. "Let's go!" She looked to Ruby with a steely gaze. _Just wait, Ruby._

Blake just stared at the Grimm opposite them which heading slowly towards them, snarling menacingly. She just quickly made her decision. She moved through the crevice with ease and lifted her arms to get Ruby.

"Pass her!"

"Hurry up!" Weiss said standing between them and the Grimm. As soon as Ruby was passed into the cave, the Grimm growled and began to move fast towards the group.

Weiss grit her teeth and sliced through the Grimm before it could strike and before it even disintegrated, the other Grimm at the ride of the ravine snarled and jumped down towards them. Yang had made her way through meanwhile and it was just Weiss.

Quickly piercing her sword into the earth, a huge wall of ice emerged and acted as a protective shield over her. The Grimm in their large numbers fell unto the shield and quite instantaneously, cracks began to form.

"Weiss come on!" Yang yelled out.

Weiss quickly moved through the crevice while the ice shield broke apart, the Grimm crashing against the crevice small for their size.

…

Weiss gasped as she fell to the rocky ground, breathing in and out in fear and relief, gulping at certain intervals. "Never… doing that… again."

"By never doing that you mean getting attacked by the Grimm?" Yang asked placing Ruby on her back.

"No…" Weiss gulped, sitting up and taking calming breaths. Blake went and gave her a hand to which she grabbed, helping herself up. "Thanks." Blake nodded and looked to the cave. "I meant being the last, I would carry Ruby next time."

"Hopefully there wouldn't be a next time." Blake said shaking her head. "Well, here we are."

Now observing the cave, it was one of almost impenetrable blackness. As soon as they stepped away from the light source that came from the crevice they entered from, they watched as their shadows slowly dissolved into the surrounding darkness. It was dank and the smell varied. The only sound they could hear was the dripping water from the stalactites above.

Due to the moisture in the air, her tracking abilities were reduced; due to her nose been hampered. But still, while she could make her way through; the issue was, could they?

"Just stay close, and let's stick together." She said, trying to find the best way for them to navigate the cave.

"No kidding." Weiss said as she and Yang removed their torches and switched them on. "How could you see through this?" Weiss asked in puzzlement. When Blake was describing the cave it seemed like it would be quite visible. She couldn't believe that it was day outside. If not for the light from the crevice above them, they were sure they couldn't see anything.

"Over there." Blake said, pointing to the beam of light down the cave. That's our way out.

"Yeah I see it." Weiss said in relief while Yang nodded her head.

"Well, Blake, guide us through. Weiss you stay behind me."

"Fine, but next time I stay at the middle." Weiss grumbled as the members of Team RWBY moved through the cave, stepping down slightly.

Blake's eyes moved around the cave in complete awareness, her eyes were invaluable right now and she knew that the team depended on her right now, to make it out safely. Was the cave much safer than out there? She never knew, and they were going to find out.

Weiss directed her torchlight to the walls to note the signs of blood on the cave. "Not scary at all." She said as Yang observed it too.

"We just need to quickly make our way out." Yang said and Blake nodded.

"Stop." Blake said, and Yang and Weiss obeyed and looked across the cave to see a large span of nothing right ahead of them. They could still jump to the other side.

"We need to jump across."

"Well." Weiss stepped forward and with her semblance, created multiple platforms that led to the other side. "How about hopping?"

The group safely made it to the other side and kept walking forward on the now loose ground. Underfoot, the loose stones shifted, twisting their ankles one way and then the other, and the noise of those disturbed rocks echoed off the dense stone walls.

Water dripped from the stalactites as the group moved further into the cave.

"It's like the exit seems farther than when we saw it." Yang said looking around in worry.

"We're getting there." Blake said. Feeling something fleshy beneath her foot, Weiss shone downwards to note dead bats. "I hope this explains the blood."

She shook her head to clear her vision, being in the dark for so long was beginning to have its effect.

The stones right behind her shifted slightly and she stopped still, her eyes widening.

"Umm, guys."

Blake and Yang looked to Weiss and their eyes widened as they saw her staring at a large bipedal Grimm that towered over them.

"Oh shit." Yang spoke as Weiss stepped back from the Grimm that was staring at her ominously.

The Grimm didn't move, just opting to stare at them which was completely puzzling to them. Its red eyes then shifted to Ruby's form and it glimmered. It then growled.

" **Give… me… human…** "

Silence was what was heard through the cave as the students of Beacon Academy looked in utter shock.

"W…W….What the… fuck?!" Weiss made out, looked completely agape.

Yang and Blake couldn't even find it in their minds to shut Weiss up, because she just voiced what was in their minds.

Did a Grimm just talk?

"Blake, Weiss?" Yang asked. "Is it just me or-"

"Did the Grimm just speak?" Blake concluded. "Yeah, we aren't insane."

The Grimm growled and pointed to Ruby again. " **Give… me… human!"**

Weiss followed its hand and looked at Ruby, turning her gaze back to him. "Why does it want Ruby?" Weiss asked as she retreated successfully towards where Blake and Yang were.

"Is it possible that…" Yang began, looking to Ruby in silence. "It's ridiculous."

"That what?" Weiss spoke. "I'd believe anything right now."

"The amount that came at us outside the cave." Yang said. "Were they after Ruby?"

Blake began to recall Ruby's earlier discussion with her and looked to an unconscious Ruby. _What did you do, Ruby?_

"What? S…She can control them or what?"

"Something is very off here." Yang said, looking fiercely. "But it must be crazy if it thinks we'll just give it Ruby."

The Grimm growled in disappointment.

"Oh yea." Weiss gulped. "It can hear us, forgot about that one bit."

"Blake." Yang muttered looking to the Grimm with a steeled expression. "We need to get out of here, right now."

"Oh no…" Weiss muttered and looked right behind the Grimm noting these large number of red eyes that walked towards them ominously. "We'll have to fight them. We wouldn't be able to reach the exit in time."

"Look up." Blake said, Weiss and Yang's eyes widening. "Yes, stalactites, and hell lot of them. One wrong move and they'll come raining down."

"What the hell do we do?" Weiss spoke, going to a stance.

"I will hold them off." Yang said. "Weiss, you and Blake will take Ruby to the top."

Weiss looked in shock. "W…What? No I-"

"Weiss!" Yang looked to Weiss with a pleading look. "Please… Please just go. Get her out."

Weiss was silent, unable to say a word. Just looking into Yang's eyes was enough for her to understand. She bit her lip and nodded. "We'll get back to you."

"Not if I get out first." Yang said with a smile.

Blake looked with uncertainty. "If we move, they'll attack. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Just get my sister out of here." Yang said, to which Blake nodded and looked to Weiss after Yang placed Ruby on her back.

"Let's go, Weiss. Just follow my steps."

"Sure thing."

Yang looked to Ruby who was unconscious on Blake's back. "I'm sorry, Ruby."

She exhaled and looked to the large horde of Grimm, closing her eyes to focus.

Yang roared out as the Grimm began their approach. Yang revealed her blood red eyes as a surge of energy went through her.

"Go, now!"

As soon as Weiss and Blake sped off, heading towards the exit, the Grim followed, with the bipedal watching their assault.

Yang grinned. "Come on!"

The horde approached and Yang using a speed untraceable by the Grimm, began to tear through them, her punches so precise and powerful that they knocked their heads off after one strike. Yang was on full throttle, managing to stop their movement. Right now she was in control. But the strength of the Grimm were not in their abilities, it was in their numbers.

For how long was she going to be able to keep her momentum?

Weiss and Blake raced across the cave towards the sunlight. "Over there" Blake shouted, gesturing to the top which had an opening to the outside.

"An exit!" Weiss commented. "Here we go!"

Using her semblance, she created platforms that enabled them to jump. While they were approaching the exit, multiple Grimm were seen running across the walls, intent on intercepting them.

"I guess Yang could only hold them off for long!" Blake said to which Weiss looked around contemplatively.

Yang looked to the distance to note some of the Grimm going around her and heading towards Blake and Weiss at high speeds.

"Shit!"

The distraction cost her, as a huge swipe from the bipedal sent her flying away and crashing into numerous columns. She gasped out in pain as she crashed to the rocky floor, a whirring sound threatening to split her head apart, blocking her every sense.

Coughing out in pain, she grit her teeth and stood up from the debris, her bloodied expression not losing the spark she had. She roared out, and sped towards the bipedal - who seemed to be the Leader - punching through the Grimm that stood in her way.

The bipedal leaped forward as soon as Yang was within range and went for a strike to which Yang narrowly escaped by rolling in a quick reflex, the bipedal's kick tearing through the Grimm unfortunately caught within its attack.

"Go ahead!" Weiss roared out as she moved towards the Grimm that were making themselves towards the exit.

Blake looked at her in stunned silence, but grit her teeth as she began to run towards the high exit with everything that she had. She had to make it.

"Stop… Blake…" At that familiar voice, her eyes widened.

"R…Ruby?"

As Yang completed her roll, she looked upward to note the multitude of Grimm that came raining down from the top of the cave towards her. She grit her teeth, clenching her fists. She knew that she couldn't fight through them. The Grimm were intent on taking her down even if it meant their lives, as long as they got Ruby.

Weiss was seen fighting through the amount of Grimm that aimed at stopping Ruby from leaving the cave. This was no longer a battle to get out, for some reason, Ruby had to be kept safe.

She blinked as she saw that Blake had stopped on her platform, Ruby looking towards Yang in the distance.

"Blake, get the hell out of here!"

Weiss looked behind her to note the increasing amount of the Grimm.

Just how possible was it that such a large number were here? They were enough to attack a capital!

Blake looked to Ruby. "Whatever you are going to do, Ruby, do it now."

Ruby just stared through her half lidded eyes at Yang in the distance, about to be enveloped by the Grimm, and then, she saw white.

…

Yang had been heading upwards to punch through the impossible horde that descended on her from the top when a flash of white filled the cave. She used the back of her hand to block her vision and immediately shivered, as a cold mist escaped from her lips in a steady stream.

While she was midair, she opened her eyes only for it to widen further as from the ceiling, a huge wave of ice had enveloped the incoming horde of the Grimm. She looked down in shock to note the ones on the floor frozen up as well. Looking to the distance, she noted the amount that were approaching the exit were frozen up.

 _Weiss?_ She wondered. It was when she looked towards Ruby that she got her answer as to what happened.

Weiss looked to Ruby in stunned silence the Red clothed girl had her left hand facing Yang's direction, her eyes blazing white.

"R…Ruby?" Weiss called out.

Blake turned her head to look at Ruby who was on her back. "You're unbelievable you know." She said with a smile.

"I'm tired." Ruby said, falling back to sleep. "Let's get out of here."

…

Ruby found herself in a landscape filled with grasses that stretched to the horizon, she looked to the distance to note herself being surrounded by the Grimm, all of them bowing to her.

She looked to her hand a look of utter confusion. "Where am I? What am I?" she wondered.

A palm touching her right shoulder caused her to turn and look upwards to note her mother looking at her with a smile.

"Victory." She said.

…

Ruby's eyes opened to find herself in the clinic, a bandage wrapped securely around her head. She grunted, while squinting her eyes as she rose up.

"Gently." Yang said helping her up. Ruby looked to her with a smile.

"Yang."

"Hey there Ruby. Gave us one hell of a heart attack."

"What happened?"

"Well." She began, giving Ruby a cup of water to drink. "After your demonstration, we had to get out of there because the cave came crashing down, what was once a waterfall, is well, no longer a waterfall."

"Huh."

"Yeah."

"She's awake!" Weiss spoke out in relief as she walked into the room. Blake followed soon after, smiling a bit at Ruby.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Ruby chuckled, finding it a bit odd regarding Weiss' concern towards her. She guessed, despite all their arguments, their nonchalant behavior, they looked out for each other.

"Well, you have to get better." Yang said. "Then you spill."

Ruby just chuckled and relaxed unto the bed. "Fine."

Now that they had seen something at least, they wouldn't be too doubtful regarding what she had to tell them. Things were looking up finally, and she was one more step in getting to Naruto, wherever he was.

…

"Her abilities has awoken." Taiyang said, looking to Qrow who had his hands in his pockets, leaning to the wall. The two were seen in Taiyang's home. "Yang told me about it."

"That's good."

"Attention will be drawn towards her. And I'm not talking about her friends or the school. I'm talking about the enemy."

"The Grimm."

"We need to take precautions."

"I have contacted Ironwood regarding the situation. We are making steps."

"Not fast enough." Taiyang countered. "My daughter is at risk here. We need to be taking more than steps."

"Trust me when I say we are." Qrow muttered. "The Continent of Fire has made contact. They are willing to share their information regarding the Grimm. And well, a strikingly new development."

"The Continent of Fire?" Taiyang asked in surprise.

"This means one of two things." Qrow surmised. "The first is that they are opening their doors for diplomatic relations, which I don't believe for a second."

"And the other?"

Qrow looked to him. "I think they messed up with something. And they want to clean it up under the guise of whatever their contact is meant to be. The question is," Qrow mused. "What is it?"

…

"A power has been awoken." Salem said, prompting Naruto to look to her.

"A power?" he asked. The full members were seen sitting while Salem was observed to be in the head chair.

"Silver-eyes." This caused the occupants of the meeting room to narrow their eyes.

"Where?" Hazel asked.

"Over in Vale. They had destroyed an important outpost. I had to sift through their memories to note who the cause was."

Naruto let out a slight smirk. "I see."

"I have something for you to do, Naruto."

Naruto tilted his head towards her. "Which is?"

"She must be captured." Salem said. "Ruby Rose, I need her."

Naruto's expression became indecipherable. "Is that so?"

"Cinder will go with you. No mistakes. Destroy Beacon if you have to."

Naruto just let out an amused smile. "As you wish."

…


	10. The Calm

_**THE CALM**_

"Quite wonderful isn't it?" A male voice asked as the group of individuals observed the sunset in the evening. The sky smothered the scene with a thickly threaded blanket, melting over the corners of the horizon. The sky seemingly melted away towards the sun in the horizon, setting in a beautiful glow of orange light.

They were students from Konohagakure Academy in the Continent of Fire and were seen on top of a building, in Beacon Academy.

"You know," a female voice commented, "for once I agree with you Shikamaru."

Shikamaru smirked, looking at Tenten victoriously which prompted an eye roll from her. Usually, his classmates usually found time to mess with his cloud watching habit, but now that they were bored, waiting for the meeting between the Continents to be over, they didn't find much to do.

Ino, Chouji, Lee, Hinata and Kiba had decided to go and check out the town, leaving him with Shino, Tenten and Neji.

"How do you think the meeting's going?" Tenten asked, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

"It's not hard to speculate really." Shikamaru replied. "While every party would like to show that they are not to be underestimated, eventually when Danzo-sama lays out the threat we are going to face, they'll make up."

"But is it wise?" Neji mused. "Telling the truth."

"Even the truth has an iota of lie on Danzo-sama's front." Shino said prompting a chuckle from Shikamaru.

He was so right. Danzo as their leader was as secretive as one could get. The fact that their continent was so closed off from the world was one of the reasons. But usually, things had their way of coming out. Despite the secrecy, the other continents had known of their training regimens and Academy procedures.

Not as if they cared.

"This part of the world has no idea of the evolution of the Grimm." Neji said. "They think you just kill them and they dissipate, everyone goes home happy."

"You can't blame them." Tenten said. "It's not as if they have encountered them."

"They judge us time and again, not knowing what we deal with." Neji scoffed. "Their ignorance is quite annoying."

"But still." Tenten complained rolling her eyes at Neji's comment. "Why Vale? I was certain we were going to head to Atlas." She let out a pout, humoring Shikamaru. "I wanted to take a look at their weapons. I heard they have robots!"

"And deal with their cold?" Shikamaru asked with an arched eyebrow. "No thank you."

Shino began. "Actually-"

"No lectures today Shino, we are on vacation." Tenten interrupted with a deadpan expression. She looked to the distance while Shino kept his mouth shut, before he spoke again.

"Do you think he is here?"

An uneasy silence came over them. Shino didn't need to say his name, he was the reason they were here after all. From the port Naruto escaped from, Vale was the closest Kingdom. After sending scouts, they had discovered his boat and the dead body of Tazuna on the shores of the Continent of Sanus.

"He could be. We know he was?" Neji said.

"Do you believe Danzo-sama?" Tenten asked. "Do you think Naruto really-"

"Is it our position to question?" Shino asked rhetorically. Tenten fell into silence. "We are shinobi, we follow orders. We are to find him and then…" he trailed off. Tenten looked down, noting a bracelet on her wrist, a conflicted expression on her face. She looked up to the skies wondering where their target was.

…

"You want me to come along to get Ruby Rose?" Tyrian asked, looking suspiciously at Naruto who had Cinder beside him. "Never thought you were so weak."

Naruto was seen overlooking the barren landscape, noticing the red sands and red skies. He watched blankly as the Grimm sprouted from the earth from the black pools seen all over the land. Tyrian was seen behind him looking judgmentally.

"I'm going to need a distraction. A big one." Naruto said, ignoring his statement. "Not all things needs to be solved with brute force. Cinder's coming along. Besides, I have a feeling that you are bored. It would be nice to break a sweat after so long eh."

"Stop trying to make excuses." Tyrian said with a scowl. "I'm not going to do your dirty work."

"Come on Tyrian, Salem would be very happy if this goes right without a hitch." Naruto turned to face him with a smirk, prompting an eyebrow twitch from Tyrian. "We need to capture Ruby Rose in one piece. And I know you being there would be an incredible addition."

Cinder just let out an amused smile. It was so obvious, Naruto didn't even try to be subtle.

"Besides, think of this as a bonding moment between us. I feel we aren't appreciative of each other lately."

"Just shut up." Tyrian scowled, tired of listening to him. "I'm not coming for you."

"Only the mission matters." Naruto smiled, squinting his eyes, while tilting his head to the side. "Sure."

…

A round table was set in a large meeting hall. On it sat various important figures of the Land of Remnant. Shimura Danzo, who was the Leader of the Continent of Fire was seen looking with a blank expression at the proceedings. It was obvious that being here was no of his intention.

But to avoid incidents and keep people from unnecessary investigations of the Continent, he had to appear like he was cooperating.

He had a problem, and as much as he never wanted to admit it, he needed their assistance, mostly because letting his shinobi run amok on their land was bound to warrant attention, something he was certain this meeting was going to solve.

He looked to the people meeting with him; important and powerful individuals of the other Kingdoms. Ozpin was the delegation from Vale, flanked by Glynda Goodwitch. From the Kingdom of Atlas was Commander Ironwood flanked by Winter Schnee. Atlas was the closest he could say that had a slight similarity to the military strength of Konoha. Vale was more peace loving, something he didn't fault them for being.

Considering the level of Grimm threat in their Kingdom was lesser when compared with the other kingdoms, they rather embraced it well. Vacuo didn't have a functional government in his opinion, mostly there as a stand in. Their Academy, Shade, was responsible for the enforcement of Law and Order in the Kingdom. So basically, the Leader of the Kingdom of Vacuo was the Headmaster staring right at him; Professor Oro Storm.

She was a golden haired woman, dressed casually with a long golden trench coat over her clothes. She sure stuck out like a sore thumb. She gave a smirk to Danzo who didn't make a motion to reply. Danzo looked to note that she didn't have a companion, something that prompted his interest.

The final person was the representative of Mistral Academy, Professor Leonardo Lionheart. From what he gathered, he wasn't much to figure out, favoring tactics rather than strength.

Danzo who had tuned out the ongoing discussion, looked to Ironwood who was still going on. He was selected by the four Kingdoms to be the General Commander of their forces. The Continent of Fire had separated themselves from the coalition, a decision that was still in effect.

Danzo who was getting annoyed at the pointlessness of the current discussion, interrupted.

"Can we get to the main issue at hand? I'm sure we have other things to do than listen to your introduction, Commander. You are all here at my request, so let's get to the main point."

This drew all their attention to which he paid no heed. He gave a quick side glance to Sai who was standing right beside him, staying still and observing the meeting without so much as a slight movement. Danzo let out a brief smirk before looking back to the Headmasters staring back at him.

Ironwood let out a frown. "I was-"

"I know." Danzo interrupted again. "You were introducing each and every one of us, going through the required formalities, and I understand. I really do. It's just that, we are wasting time. Everybody knows each person sitting down here today. If you don't that's your problem and inadequacy to figure out. When I asked for this meeting, I didn't expect formalities. This is an emergency."

Ironwood's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but kept a cool façade. Ozpin's mouth which was hidden by his interlocked fingers twitched up at the scene. It was amusing.

"I understand." Ironwood conceded, and sat back down. "The meeting has officially begun then."

"Would you please care to elaborate?" Ozpin asked, staring at Danzo through his glasses. Just staring at Danzo, he could tell he was powerful. How powerful? He had no idea. His attention was mostly directed to the person right beside him. It was a boy, probably sixteen too seventeen years of age.

His pale skin and cold expression was startling. This was what was happening in their Continent. Turning children into drones.

Danzo could tell what was going through his mind, but paid no heed. He was here for a reason, whatever they thought didn't bother him.

"I'm here because I believe Remnant is in danger." His comment certainly drew their attention fully. "So you have to understand my urgency."

"Danger?" Lionheart asked. "Danger in what way?"

"The Grimm." Danzo spoke. "They will burn down this land if we do not act."

"We have been dealing with the Grimm for-"

"I'm not talking about your low class threats." Danzo interrupted Oro with a glance. "I'm talking about mine?

"We made a deal." Ironwood leaned in. "You contain them no matter the means." Ironwood looked to Sai. "And while we regret that, the fact that the evolved Grimm haven't appeared here means you were doing as you promised."

"Well something came up." Danzo spoke. "A Grimm of the highest class escaped our capture and is in one of your continents."

The entire coalition looked rapt with attention.

"What?" Glynda muttered in shock. "What do you mean?"

"We captured one after it had destroyed one of our villages. He's close to Sai here in age. We were going to execute it but it escaped."

"And by highest class," Ironwood let out a labored exhale as his eyes narrowed, "You mean…"

"The Class VI. Human."

Silence was what took over the guild as each of the members of the meeting took time absorbing the threat that was now before them.

"It's dangerous." Danzo said.

"Does it have a name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki."

The names stirred up reactions from the table.

"You mean the Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki?" Professor Oro asked, completely stunned.

"If he is a Class VI." Ozpin narrowed his eyes, he could be able to bring the others of the lower class here with him."

"This is not good," Glynda added in thought, "or he could command them to inhabit the animals."

"So far he hasn't shown the ability to do that." Danzo said. "Well, we wouldn't know that now."

"So he was right under your noses this whole time, and you are saying you had no idea of it?" Winter asked, looking suspiciously at him. "I don't believe that for some reason."

Danzo looked to her, his expression blank. "Why?"

"Well, because it's you."

Danzo looked to the people's eyes that were now trained on him. He didn't say a word, simply observing the suspicions in their eyes.

"What do you have to say to that?" Professor Lionheart asked, looking to Danzo with an arched eyebrow.

"We have a threat." Danzo spoke. "A threat that threatens the balance of Remnant. And we need to take care of it."

"You wanted to use it as a weapon, didn't you?" Ozpin asked, not really expecting an answer. He already knew what type of man he was. Just by looking at Sai, he already knew.

Danzo kept his calm, not showing any signs of nervousness, or confliction in his eyes. "Does that matter now?"

"Of course it does!" Ironwood exclaimed in anger. "You could have-"

"What?" Danzo asked with an amused smirk. "Killed a child who lost his parents?" He looked through their eyes, noting the confliction in their eyes. "Just say it. That's what you wanted me to do, right?"

"You know you wouldn't have had any problems with it." Ozpin admitted, looking to him. "And that was not the point. We let you leave the coalition, we turned a blind eye because we knew you needed discretion. We knew you could do what we couldn't. If you did that, we wouldn't be here would we?"

Danzo looked surprise at Ozpin's choice of words. "That is impressive, Professor Ozpin." Danzo grinned. "That is impressive. You would have fit right in."

The other Professors said nothing. They knew Ozpin was right, but they just couldn't admit it. If they were to be honest with themselves, if Naruto was killed much earlier on, they wouldn't have this problem now. But they couldn't admit it, because they wouldn't be able to do it. And the man who could, wanted to use him.

"My intentions were to build an army against the Grimm." Danzo surmised. "It is something I attempted so we could win. Unfortunately it spiraled. Now we need to brace ourselves. I knew you needed to know. The Grimm in my Continent are acting up for some reason. Something I'm sure is related to our current problem."

"We could be at war." Professor Oro said.

"We were always at war." Danzo said. "I just stopped it from reaching your doorsteps."

…

Ozpin was seen in his office, deep in thought; the happenings of the just concluded meeting still in his mind. Glynda was seen sitting down on the seat opposite his looking to him.

"What are we going to do?"

"We haven't gotten any alerts as to the Grimm movement. Apart from Mistral, which has been happening for a while, nothing."

Glynda looked through the file on Naruto that Danzo had provided to them. She observed the pictures from the destroyed village. As well as the report of the multiple Grimm terrorizing them. It was by Sasuke Uchiha, sent to the Academy, right before it was destroyed by Naruto Uzumaki.

For one person to do all that. It was scary.

Glynda looked in thought. Was it possible that Naruto was the one who drew them to the village? She didn't know, only going by what was in the report. They were dispatched to deal with a Grimm, but they discovered more than an army in the mountains.

She clenched her hand, she was feeling nervous.

She was interrupted by a knock on the door. Drawing both her and Ozpin's attention.

"Come in." Ozpin said.

The door was pushed in, and Team RWBY stepped in, looking to them nervously.

"Hello ladies." Ozpin looked to them with a smile. It seemed Ruby was up and ready to go. "How can I help you?"

"We need to tell you something." Ruby said, letting out an exhale. "About our mission."

Ozpin arched an eyebrow.

…

" _ **Who are you?" he asked, his eyes full of curiosity.**_

 _ **Ruby smiled at the question. Finally, something she could answer. "I'm Ruby. You?"**_

" _ **N…" he hesitated for a moment, before he replied. "I'm Naruto."**_

…

Naruto blinked open his eyes in the airship that was transporting them to Vale. He shifted his head to note Cinder, reading a book opposite him. He looked around, looking for Tyrian not seeing him.

"Where's Tyrian?"

Cinder looked up from her book. "Over there." She gestured right behind him.

Naruto turned and looked to the seat on the far end of the airship to not Tyrian looking through the windows. His expression seemed like someone who was lost, angry with the world.

He looked to the television, to note Torchwick on it. He had just blown up a bank, carting a huge sum of money and dust.

He shifted his gaze to Cinder noting her attention on the book. "How's the book?"

"Not bad." She said, "It's useful to pass time."

"I was never a fan of books back home." Naruto chuckled. "I was more of a practical fellow."

"Action first huh."

"How did you and Salem meet?" Naruto asked. "I know I'm pushing but, I'm curious. You aren't one of us, yet you are."

Cinder let out a nostalgic smile. "Salem… saved me."

"From what?"

"My home."

Naruto looked to her noting her expression.

"I was so young then. It seems so far back now." She shook her head. "I was the one who followed her, because I didn't have anywhere else to go. She was the one who trained me, and who brought me up."

"I see." Naruto let out a smile. "You owe her your life."

"I owe her more than that."

"Salem told me that the Grimm usually possessed children, babies to be more exact. But when they possess people older than that, it may lead to complications."

"You listened well."

"Tyrian is one of those cases, right?"

"Tyrian's case is a bit complicated." Cinder said, looking to him. "You'd have to ask him yourself. But don't take his anger to be who he is."

"Who is Salem really?"

"Even I don't know the complete answer to that."

Naruto looked down in thought.

"Sometimes I wonder, how my life would have been if I wasn't who I am."

Cinder let out an understanding expression. "I also wonder what would have happened had I grown in a loving home, a loving community, a loving kingdom. I wonder a lot too. But I guess life wouldn't be so interesting, if we didn't have something definitive to look back to."

Sasuke and Sakura's dead bodies were at his mind. "Something definitive huh…" Ruby emerged from his memories. "Yeah."

A female voice emerged from the speakers. " **We have arrived at Vale.** "

Naruto shifted his eyes upward. "Well." He looked to her. "Let's go get ourselves a Ruby."

…

"A Grimm that spoke?!" Glynda asked in surprise. "In Vale?"

Ozpin and Glynda weren't surprised by the fact that the Grimm spoke. Danzo had updated them regularly on their evolution. Why they were surprised was the fact that they were in Vale. Ruby continued to speak on the mission. She never brought up Naruto, she didn't know why but she felt like she was betraying his trust in her. She never brought up the fact that she tried to control the Grimm.

Yang, Weiss and Blake said nothing also. They trusted that she knew what she was doing.

Ozpin listened till when Ruby spoke of how they escaped. She had activated her abilities. That was one good thing out of all this. He shared a look with Glynda as Ruby finished narrating the events that happened.

"What was that, Professor?" Ruby asked. She seemed lost for that moment. "Do you know what I did?"

Ozpin looked to Ruby and noted the way her team was protective of her. They really trusted her, so she too must trust them. He decided to speak.

"What I am going to tell you is something the world knows nothing about. Only… select circles. They were a group of warriors, originated before the rise of the Kingdoms, right around the time of the Grimm's emergence. They were able to strike down the Grimm by just looking at them. Based on what you did, it's not a myth. They were known as the Silver – Eyed warriors."

"My eyes?"

"Yes." Ozpin spoke as Ruby was rooted in a spot, absorbing it all. She didn't respond.

"I don't know the true origins of your powers but it was a powerful tool to be used against the Grimm. I know it is a bit much. But you hold a very rare and powerful ability, Ruby."

"Was that why… I was accepted into Beacon?"

Yang looked to Ruby, an encouraging smile on her face.

"I was to keep a close eye on you as well as to give you the necessary training when it was necessary."

Ruby looked down to the floor, an indecisive expression on her face. Yang, Blake and Weiss were stunned at the news also, but they were there for Ruby.

Glynda continued. "The Grimm you faced were evolved Grimm, and they were usually isolated in the Continent of Fire."

"It didn't seem like that at all." Yang said. "They were there for a long time, I could tell that."

"Well things are progressing. And new information has informed us of that."

"Do you know why we are telling you all this?" Ozpin asked.

"Why?" Weiss asked.

"Because you all have experienced it. The Grimm are far more dangerous than what we think. And since you have experienced it, you could be more receptive to the changes. I'm sure you saw how powerful they were."

"If it wasn't for Ruby…" Yang trailed off.

"What we just told you, you are to keep it to yourselves." Ozpin said. "You trusted us to come forward with this. So we are trusting you."

"We understand."

Ozpin looked to Ruby who had not said a word for a while. "Ruby."

The world dawned on her as her shoulders began to feel heavy. Her breaths became labored as she slowly clenched her fist.

"Ruby."

…

Naruto was seen in the caves where Ruby had turned the Grimm into stone. He looked around at the collapsed regions, noting the scale of her power. The edges of his lips tilted up.

"Impressive."

"She is getting stronger." Cinder commented.

"Yeah." Naruto crouched, placing his palms on the earth. His eyes glowed red as he grinned. "She certainly has."

The rubbles began to shift as the earth became saturated in a black glow. Tyrian looked in shock. This was new.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto turned to look at Tyrian, who could swear that his heart stopped for a moment at the predatory smirk on his face.

" **Getting us an army.** "

The earth began to open up as the Grimm ranging in class began to emerge, cloaked in a miasma of black. The earth opened up, as three Class V Grimm tore right through the earth to the skies, eliciting loud roars.

Cinder and Tyrian looked around in shock at the Grimm slowly surrounding them. How powerful was he? For a moment, they knew.

Beacon… was going to fall.

…

 **Wow… how long has it been? Ages? Geez. I know! I've been delayed 'cuz I've been working on a little writing project that sucked the ever living life out of me. Add that to the fact that we have resumed school for my final year, things are getting heated up!**

 **So how's this for a chap?**

 **REVIEW!**


	11. The Storm

_**THE STORM**_

The moonlight pierced through the clouds down to the Kingdom of Vale. It was a silent night, as the streets were sparse with people. The street lights reflected off the windows and the rippled surface of the fountain water. It was on this street that Ruby Rose looked down to, the Huntress aspirant spotted on the roofs of the academy. Despite the light that glimmered through the region, all she could see was the darkness. The discussion she just had from Ozpin's office at the forefront of her mind.

The eerie darkness of the night never escaped her memory. She could clearly remember the pitch black curtain draped over the sky, and the twisted, warped shapes that the stars made against the blackness.

She was chosen, chosen for what exactly?

"What would you have done, Naruto?" She whispered to the skies, thinking of her long lost friend - memories of their encounter back in Patch sending her into nostalgia.

 _You know…_ Naruto spoke from the top of the cliffs, looking towards the sunset in the distance. Ruby was seen right next to him. "I feel we have been chosen for something great Ruby."

"Great? How?"

"I don't know." Naruto laughed a bit. "I just feel, like our paths were meant to cross or something like that. I feel we were meant to meet. You get that? I don't know."

Ruby just chuckled, unsure of what to say. "I don't know, maybe."

"There are things in this world." Naruto said looking to her. "Things that would make you question all you know, but… it's up to you to make that choice. I want you to know that."

"What are you talking about?"

"Heh, probably just rambling as usual." Naruto laughed sheepishly, earning a smile from Ruby. "I just feel there's something about you Ruby, something special, something… powerful, and there is always a purpose, for people with great power."

Ruby just stared at him musing on his words.

She never paid it much thought, but was this what he meant?

The ability she had shown in the cave, and the fact that she could resonate in a way with the Grimm. What exactly was she going to do?

"What am I meant to do?" she wondered, looking lost.

… _What I am going to tell you is something the world knows nothing about. Only… select circles. They were a group of warriors, originated before the rise of the Kingdoms, right around the time of the Grimm's emergence. They were able to strike down the Grimm by just looking at them. Based on what you did, it's not a myth. They were known as the Silver – Eyed warriors…_

 _Were you part of this, mom?_ Ruby thought.

"I knew I'd find you here."

The familiar voice snapped Ruby back to the present. She turned back to see Yang walking towards her with a smile.

"Hey there sis." Yang said, looking to Ruby, as she made her way down to sit beside her.

"Hey."

"That was a lot to take in, I'm guessing."

"I always wanted to defeat the Grimm." Ruby began. "I mean, that's what Hunters and Huntresses do right? They are heroes… right? It was all so simple." She looked to Yang, hopefully searching for an answer to a question she hadn't asked. "I… I don't know what to feel I…" She swallowed a bit, her constant vibrant expression being replaced by a vulnerable one before her sister. "I don't like this responsibility, Yang."

Yang looked to her sister and smiled. "Then don't shoulder it."

Ruby blinked, looking to Yang. "Wha…?"

"To hell with whatever Dad, or Uncle Qrow, or what Ozpin says. It's your life."

"But it's-"

"You didn't have a choice over that, and if you didn't then, I think you have every right to do now." Yang leaned to her sister. "You can be whatever you want, Ruby, and they have no right to tell you what you should do. I want you to know that."

Ruby just stared forward with widened eyes.

"Do you remember that day you went wandering into the forest, without telling me or dad?" Yang smiled, reminiscing over a fond memory.

Ruby smiled. "Yeah."

"We searched for you for three days, even you had gotten lost. We were so scared. I was so…" Yang shook her head. "Sure we found you, but at that moment we didn't see you crying or looking like you needed any help. Dad said your eyes were filled with wonder, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to stop you from going out into the world, on your own adventure. But he made me promise."

"Before we left home," Yang continued. "Dad made sure that I would watch over you all the time, and sure I have messed up in some cases, I still want to protect you, no matter what, because you are my little sister."

Ruby looked down trying to hide her embarrassed expression. "But my eyes."

"Sure, they are quite awesome to have. You yourself saw the effect of what happened in the cave."

"That's why I can't run from it. You may be right Yang. I don't need to shoulder it all, I don't owe them anything. But… I just can't ignore it Yang."

Yang looked concerned. "Why do you say that?"

"I…" Ruby looked conflicted. "The Grimm are…" She trailed off as memories of when she first met Naruto, at the forefront of her mind.

"What is it Ruby?"

"There was a Grimm, close to our home."

Yang blinked. "What?"

"I killed it though."

"Wait, a Grimm was close to our home?"

"It was harmless."

Yang looked suspicious. "What are you talking about?"

"I want you to listen to me Yang."

"Listen?" Yang looked confused. "Did this have anything to do with what happened back at the cave, when you talked about… saving them?"

"I…" Ruby looked confused. "I-"

"They killed mom, Ruby." Yang said, her emotions visible in her eyes. Ruby seemed taken aback at the tone in her voice. "I know that you might think that things are a bit blurry right now but that's what happened. I didn't want to bring it up earlier because of Weiss and Blake but…"

As Yang trailed off, Ruby looked down to the streets, her sister's words echoing through her mind. Flashes of when the Grimm struck her rippled through her mind. She actually felt like she was going to die.

"And it almost killed you."

Ruby's expression was completely that of confliction.

"I was so scared for you Ruby. I…" Yang's lower lips quivered as the memories provoked an unpleasant feeling in her. "They are monsters," She said with conviction, "and you know that deeply, Ruby. You saw what they were going to do to us. If not for you we-"

Yang halted, regaining her composure. She exhaled deeply, getting her emotions in check.

"You know I'm right."

Ruby looked to Yang noting the concern and love in her eyes. At that moment, she couldn't doubt Yang. All she said was the truth. Her mom was killed by the Grimm, and the Grimm could've killed her and her team had she not intervened in time.

Yang was even prepared to die, to get her to safety. Memories from the cave serving as a core reminder.

" _ **Oh no…" Weiss muttered and looked right behind the Grimm noting these large number of red eyes that walked towards them ominously. "We'll have to fight them. We wouldn't be able to reach the exit in time."**_

" _ **Look up." Blake said, Weiss and Yang's eyes widening. "Yes, stalactites, and hell lot of them. One wrong move and they'll come raining down."**_

" _ **What the hell do we do?" Weiss spoke, going to a stance.**_

" _ **I will hold them off." Yang said. "Weiss, you and Blake will take Ruby to the top."**_

 _ **Weiss looked in shock. "W…What? No I-"**_

" _ **Weiss!" Yang looked to Weiss with a pleading look. "Please… Please just go. Get her out."**_

Ruby was slightly aware of what was happening around her, and even when she awoke, she was stunned at the dedication and love Yang showed that day. She knew Yang loved her, but that moment solidified whatever bond was between them.

Yang was prepared to die to protect her, and Ruby was never going to forget that. The Grimm were intent on taking them away from her, people she saw as her family; people she loved.

And she was willing to protect them, Ruby affirmed, and for a moment, Naruto was gone from her memories.

"Thank you." Ruby said, her eyes filled with gratitude.

Yang smiled and placed her palm on Ruby's head. "I'll do anything for you. I hope you know that."

Ruby blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah… Yeah I do."

The skies seemed a bit brighter now, and she wasn't so alone now.

…

Glynda was seen in Ozpin's office noting the Headmaster tossing a small metal ball upwards and catching it. "Do you think it was a good idea, telling her that?"

"It may be too much for her to handle at the moment, but we have no choice Glynda." Ozpin caught it one final time and looked to her. "Hopefully it works out for the best."

"What are we going to do about our visitors from the other continent?"

"We don't have much of a choice. We help them find this Uzumaki fellow and we eliminate him. Despite the fact that I feel Danzo isn't telling us everything, I wouldn't care much for that right now."

"The son of Minato Namikaze." Glynda shook her head. "He's going to be formidable, especially if he is a Top tier Grimm."

"Don't lose hope yet Glynda." Ozpin smirked. "We have our cards."

…

Winter Schnee looked to Ironwood walking back and forth across the room, not even touching the food the hotel had provided.

"You need to relax General. We need to think on this with a clear head." She spoke calmly, while taking a sip from her tea. She was sitting on a chair, her legs crossed before the tea table.

"I knew this was a mistake Winter. But the gall of Danzo, trying to control a Class VI Grimm."

"The idea is solid if actually given thought."

"I know." He turned to her. "That's what pisses me off. All our research has been on how we could defeat them finally, we never even thought on using them against themselves. But he's messed up, messed up real bad. If he would have shared his plan with us maybe we could have cooperated and would have been more successful with it."

"There was a reason only he could do it."

"Oh screw the council." Ironwood scoffed. "They wouldn't know a brilliant idea if it was staring at them right in the face."

"That's not really my point."

"What is then?"

"We'd be creating a weapon out of a human being. A Grimm to our understanding sure, but to them, all they'd see is a boy, a confused boy."

"Considering the threat we face, that is the least of my worries."

"Sit down and eat something General, your food is getting cold. You can't think clearly on an empty stomach."

Ironwood just sighed and walked to the table, overlooking the covered dish.

As he sat down Winter continued. "If Danzo's information is to be believed there aren't that much Class VI Grimm left."

"But they are still a threat."

"Yes, and we are at a disadvantage." Winter put her cup down. "We do not know when they will strike or where. We don't have a proper gauge of their abilities, and we do not even know where they are right now. The question is what do we do now?"

"Fortify our forces." Ironwood said. "The other Headmasters except Danzo have headed back to their Kingdoms. We need to boost up our training. Our scouts need to work harder than ever. Things are moving unexpectedly fast but, that's all we can do for now. Hopefully this doesn't escalate into a full blown war."

Winter said nothing, her mind in a complete whirlwind of thoughts as Ironwood sighed.

"A storm is coming, Winter." Ironwood pointed out. "We have to be prepared for that."

…

Weiss was seen walking with Winter along the streets.

"For how long will you be here?" Weiss asked. She didn't want to seem too enthusiastic, despite the fact that she was.

"We'll be gone by tomorrow." Winter said.

"Oh. That's too soon." Weiss said, a little disappointed, but she was used to it by now.

"We were just here for the meeting." Winter said turning towards her. "I decided to use the time to check up on you. Now that you have a clue as to what is happening, I'm sure you see the need for me to head back."

Weiss blinked. "Y…You knew?"

"Glynda told me. I didn't tell dad of course. Pretty sure he'd overreact."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I don't need that headache right now. So, how are you? Heard you held up pretty well against a whole pack."

Weiss chuckled sheepishly. "Well considering I nearly lost my shit when the leader started to speak I'd say I did well."

"Yeah we were pretty surprised when we were informed of that." Winter looked in thought. "We knew they existed in the Continent of Fire but over here, that was quite a discovery."

"So they are a lot of them, the talking Grimm?"

"Yes." Winter nodded. "Over there they are as much as the Grimm in the other continents. That place is quite dangerous."

"Wouldn't like to go there."

"Well it's isolated mostly. Access is limited, for a good reason."

Weiss looked on in wonder. "So the rumors are true."

Winter shook her head in the negative. "There are things you might not want the answer to. Anyways," A rare smile emerged from her face, "I'm happy you are safe."

Weiss beamed a bit and nodded her head. "Thanks."

"How's Ruby?" Winter asked. "Heard she saved you guys."

"Yeah." Weiss gave a forlorn look to the academy building in the distance. "She's a bit down, but she'll pull through." Weiss let out a forced smile. "She's too annoying to be brought down by that."

"You are bothered about something."

Weiss looked stunned. "It's noth-"

"Come on, it's obvious. What is it?"

Weiss held her words and looked down.

Winter observed the slight hesitation Weiss had and used her hand to tilt Weiss' face upwards. "What is it, Weiss?"

Weiss looked to Winter's eyes hoping to note some concern, but Winter's expression was always the same. Most of the time, it bothered Weiss. Sure she knew that as a Schnee they were trained to be composed at all times, and it helped a lot as Winter was a crucial member of the Atlesian army, but this meant she couldn't get a read on her expression, if she was empathetic to her plight, or apathetic.

Regardless of that, she chose to think positively on it. At least, she asked right?

"I feel…" Weiss bit her lower lip, looking away. "I feel so weak next to her." Winter's expression didn't change, letting her speak her mind. "You weren't there. They were so much, and sure I was focused on getting her out of there, I wanted to head back to save Yang, but I couldn't. It was going to pointless. I wasn't strong enough, but Ruby did it. She wiped them all out like it was nothing. Just a glance." Weiss clenched her fist. "With just a glance."

Winter looked to Weiss, and unknown to the younger sister, the edges of her lips twitched up a bit. She had never seen her sister so determined. It seemed it was a good thing Ruby was in her life.

"Admitting your limitations is very important in growing stronger. It means you know your weaknesses and you are prepared to work on that. You have potential Weiss, and how strong you get is based on how you focus on building up your strength."

Weiss looked up to her sister. "Do you think so?"

"I think you have the answer to that."

Weiss clenched her fist and looked to the academy, thinking about Ruby. _You aren't going to have the chance to save me again Ruby._

"Now come on." Winter said, certain that she had snapped Weiss out of her funk. "It's getting late."

…

Since he left one of the lookout towers on the mainland, Cimarron felt an immense sense of relief. Their boat drifted along the center of the river, slow and deep enough they could relax and let the waves carry them. He sat in the back, dipping his fingertips in the cold water to distract him from his boredom. For how many months had he been on patrol? He could hardly remember.

Ever since he had been in charge of a small contingent of Hunters, he always looked forward to get out of the tower. He preferred going through the forests, been on the lookout for the Grimm, an expedition that came up short most of the time.

The few moments when he came across the creatures made him cherish the job. Now that they were done with their shift, it was time to head back though. Although this time they were to head to a different tower from the one they were previously on, close to the lakes. Which was a good thing because his eyes were tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.

The oars dipped in and out of the water, the sound rhythmic, relaxing. Trees lined either side of them, growing tall with their roots crawling down into the river, which the moon and stars reflected off.

"How far?" asked Velt, who had refused to give his last name upon enlisting. Cimarron always figured he was a former bandit, of thief, but whatever the crime, he was willing to let it be forgotten so long as he was faithful to the cause. Everyone deserved a second chance. Well that was what Ozpin said.

"You mean until we're there, or until you stop rowing?" Cimarron asked.

"Either's good."

"We should be arriving at the lookout tower soon. Keep your eyes peeled for a wooden dock. This lookout tower should have one, from what I gathered from the Commander. Put your oars down Velt."

The man did, and he stretched his back while letting out a pleased grunt.

"Getting shallow," said one of the men with the poles up front. "Might as well pull off or else we could hit something."

"I'd rather sleep with a roof above my head thank you." Cimarron said. "Keep your eyes open and your light directed west, the forest to the east doesn't seem safe. And hand me one of them."

Several others decided to join the search, their shifting rocking the boat enough that Cimarron lost the grip of his lantern. It fell to his left, hit the boat, and then rolled off the side.

"Damn," he grumbled, peering off the side. As his eyes lifted, he saw red glowing eyes meet his own, then vanish.

A Grimm to be sure. The creature's eyes had disappeared which meant it was trying to go undetected. And he intended to keep it that way.

"Borin," he called out, keeping his voice calm.

"Yes sir?" asked Borin. He was a young man, but he was quite strong, and more importantly, he had a keen mind.

Cimarron made his way along the boat until he was side by side with Borin. "Look east," he said in a low tone. "Keep it quiet, and don't make it obvious."

"What am I looking for?" asked Borin, in a soft voice. He put his hands on his back and acted as if he was stretching. The boat continued drifting, many of the men still shining lanterns and searching for the dock while they approached the lookout tower to the west.

"If they're there, you'll know."

Borin bit his lip. His hands ran through his brown hair, and then it fell to his side, where his sword could have been. It was not. All their gear was stowed in three chest placed equidistant from each other along the center of the boat.

"Eyes watching us," Borin said.

"How many?"

Cimarron leaned his chin in his hand and stared east as if he was bored. Red eyes peered at him, and they had a hungry look that sent shivers up his spine.

"At least six pairs. Maybe more. Fucking Grimm."

One of the men near them heard and glanced back, worry crossing his face.

"Grimm, sir?

"Shut the fuck up, right now," said Cimarron. "That's an order."

The man nodded, pressing his lips together.

"What do we do?" asked Borin.

"If there are that many, they aren't here to watch. Can't armor ourselves, otherwise every person tossed overboard will drown. Pass swords around, low and out of sight. And we need to do it fast. I see the eyes no more," whispered Cimarron. "Have they left?"

"No," said Borin, kneeling beside the closest chest and removing the latch. They went into the water. They must be swimming."

"Pull back your lanterns," Cimarron ordered to his men, to which they heeded. Borin started sending swords down the boat, arming the east side first. "Take what we are giving you, and don't act up about it. We got eyes watching us, and who knows how intelligent they are, and how much they can understand. Velt, Pear, you keep watching for a dock, any dock. Everyone else, scan the river. There are Grimm here."

"We need to alert the other Lookout towers." Borin whispered to Cimarron. "This amount is too much. We may not live through this night."

"We can only do that when we get there." Cimarron said, gesturing to the tower a slight distance away from them as he drew his own sword and laid it across his lap, comforted by its weight.

If the Grimm assaulted their boat, there were advantages for either side. The Grimm would have surprise, and they'd close the distance without their arrows or defensive formations. They'd by slowed by the water, though, and vulnerable trying to climb into the boat. Assuming they tried to climb them anyway. They were strong, and if they were many, they might be able to overturn their vessel. If that happened, they were as good as dead.

The night had gone unnaturally silent. Even the men of the boat were silent, no longer might calling out what they thought was a deer, stone, or dock. No, they were watching, waiting, cold steel in their hands. Fighting the Grimm without armor, they faced a horrible challenge. Those claws would shred their skin like cloth. Those teeth could rip their limbs from their bodies.

Cimarron had fought the Grimm plenty in his years as a hunter, but never like this, never ambushed upon the water. And why were they there? The implications were just as frightening as their current situation. To have so many near the main capital, watching, patrolling, even…

From the far bank came a loud growl, and with that, the water on either side of the boat erupted with claws and teeth.

The Grimm lashed out, clawing at the wooden sides and hoisting their bodies upward. They were blacker than night, just flashed of red and eager claws. The assault was proving to be even more vicious and rapid than Cimarron had anticipated.

He stood in the middle of the boat, standing on a chest to give himself the best vantage. He shined his light upon all.

The Grimm were climbing into the boat on all sides. The water frothed with their struggles. His men were fighting bravely for now.

"Starboard!" he yelled, just as a Grimm climbed aboard on the starboard side. Two of his men met the Grimm.

Cimarron turned his attention to the stern of the vessel where there were no defenders… yet he saw a claw grasping the gunwale.

Cimarron charged. This was no time for standing by and giving orders, right now they needed every sword for defense. He swung his blade just as the Grimm climbed in. It was a lucky blow, opening the throat of the beast.

In an explosion of water, another wolf man was on the boat, only a meter to Cimarron's left flank. Borin charged in from the side and pierced the Grimm with his sword. Cimarron quickly moved going for a swift decapitation and before it could disintegrate fully, he shoved the headless Grimm over the side of the boat, causing it to fall upon another Grimm trying to climb in.

Cimarron using his aura sensed a Grimm was climbing in from the stern of the boat, near the rudder, and another was climbing nearby on the side and he moved.

He shone the lantern in the eyes of the two Grimm as they climbed in. They squinted in the light, snarling. Cimarron flung his lantern at the one climbing the stern. The metal struck it in the face, the liquid and fire spreading across its snout. It howled and leaped off the boat back into the river. Cimarron whirled his body and struck the other Grimm with his sword, the blade sinking in. Noting the Grimm about to claw him in the side, he quickly used his semblance, coating his sword with fire which spread all over the Grimm causing it to elicit a pained howl.

Cimarron retreated back a step and hacked again, separating his head from his shoulders. Whirling, Daniel took in the battle before him. The boat rocked unsteadily beneath his feet, both sides buffeted by the many bodies either climbing aboard or falling away. He couldn't count the Grimm, they were both too many and too hidden. His men were dying. Blood soaked the floor of the boat, mixing with puddles of water. They fought bravely, though, and he felt his heart swell with pride. So far none had panicked, and they stabbed and bled in the darkness like true warriors.

"Beat them back!" he cried, joining Borin's side. The two slashed at another wolf trying to grabe the side, slicing off three claws before it slipped away. With a scream, one of his men went tumbling off the boat, his weak thrust missing, his arm grabbed and pulled. Where he fell became a dark thrashing of water, and then he disappeared. Two more men died, a Grimm making it into the boat and slashing wildly before soldiers dove upon it, accepting its claws to pierce their blades through its heart. The screams of pain echoed across the river.

The boat suddenly lurched eastward, accompanied by a deep thunk. Again came a lurch.

"They're guiding us to the east side of the bank!" someone shouted.

They needed the power that poling against the bottom of the river would provide.

"The poles!" Cimarron roared. "Grab the poles!"

They had four poles to push and guide the boat. The first two they plunged into the water snapped as the Grimm grabbed hold of them and bit with their strong teeth.

"Stab the water!" Borin cried out, rushing to the east side and thrusting downward with his sword, where several Grimm had gathered, no longer trying to climb and instead swimming with their heads low and their bodies pushing.

"If we hit the ground on that forest we're dead!" Cimarron said, grabbing another of the poles. "We need to get to the tower on the other side, now push like your fucking lives depend on it!"

The men roared out, pushing with all their might. The wood groaned in his hand, he heard the yelps of the Grimm at their side, but at last the pressure relaxed. Once more the boat angled not to the wedge but instead to the opposite side.

"To the other side!" Velt shouted.

"That's the aim boy, now put your back into it!" roared Cimarron.

The last of the Grimm along the eastern side fell back, the last two poles touching bottom and pushing. Several other soldiers grabbed oars ad they rowed toward safety. There was no dock, no landing. They rammed their boat along the rocky shore and then rushed onto dry land with shaky legs.

Exhausted and shivering, Cimarron looked out the river. He saw pairs of eyes watching him from the far side, and they were increasing. This was an attack on the capital. And they had to inform them in time.

"We need to head to the tower now!"

Immediately, hordes upon hordes descended into the water as the men ran towards the Lookout Tower.

"They're coming!"

"Keep on going!" Cimarron roared out through his teeth. He knew they weren't all going to make it in on piece. But he had to make it, he had to inform the other lookout towers closer to the capital.

He chose not to look back, hearing screams and sounds of the Grimm approaching them. Spotting the door at the base of the tower, he barged through, and roared out to Borin who was able to keep up with him.

"Make sure you close the door once they are all in. Barricade it!"

"Yes sir!"

Cimarron ran up the stairs towards the communication room at the highest floor of the tower. He removed the headphones and began to contact the capital.

"Hello! This is Tower 231 can you hear me?! We are under attack! I repeat we are under attack!"

The sound of static which filled his ears caused him to curse out in anger.

"Fuck!" He looked around and saw a black box to which he nodded frantically. "Okay… Okay this would work."

He quickly removed a flare gun and looked to the bulllets right in the box, they were green yellow and red.

Quickly inserting three red bullets in the gun he heard a roar from the skies and looked through the windows in shock to note a Dragon Grimm flying towards the tower. Knowing what was going to happen, he quickly fired multiple shots of the red flare to the skies as the Dragon crashed head first through the concrete building, destroying the top floor.

In another lookout tower in the distance, another hunter was seen looking to the distance with his binoculars in only for his eyes to widen at the red flare.

"Invasion?"

Quickly switching to night vision his eyes widened as he saw the signatures of the Grimm emerging like a wave from the east. "Sound the alarm!" He yelled out from the top of his lungs, alerting the other Hunters in the tower. "Incoming attack!"

He quickly moved to the communication equipment as the sound of alarm blared through the tower, a bright red light illuminating it in the darkness. The hunter on lookout quickly reached for the main headquarters. "Incoming attack! I repeat incoming attack! A horde of Grimm have been spotted-"

Another Dragon Grimm bashed head first through the tower, breaching through it and continuing on its raid towards the academy.

In the distance Naruto was seen on one of the Dragon Grimm, observing the events from above.

"Now they know we are coming." He muttered. "Hope you are ready Ruby, because I…" Naruto looked to the Academy which glowed red in alert, coincidentally gaining the same hue as his eyes.

Ruby looked in surprise to the distance, noting the flare from the distance. Yang looked on with narrowed eyes wondering what was happening.

"… **am coming for you.** "

…

 **OKAY WOW! So I am done with my exams. And I'm heading towards my final semester in Pharmacy. Exciting right?!**

 **So next chapter is going to be like an all-out war. I would be focused primarily on Naruto and maybe address Cinder and Tyrian's mission but majority of the battle next chapter would be focused on him.**

 **And of course the reunion after so long. What will happen between Naruto and Ruby?**

 **Next Chapter's going to be a blast!**

 **What did you think of this longer chapter? Review!**


	12. Vicissitude

_**VICISSITUDES**_

It was short, resounding over short intervals just as the red lights around the City of Vale came on and off. The alarms blared loudly, waking even the deepest sleeping individual up from sleep.

A young boy, not older than twelve blinked as he saw the red lights piercing through his windows, illuminating his dark room with its light. He moved to the windows, noting people running off in fear. He saw a young girl, a girl he knew, running with her parents down the streets.

"What's happ-"

He was startled as his door was suddenly barged in. His parents ran into the room frantically, fear visible on their features.

"Gale!"

"M..Mom, what's happen-"

He was shocked as his father quickly picked him up and shouted to his mother. "Let's get the hell out of here!"

…

From the top of Beacon Academy, Neji was seen on the highest structure looking to the distance with veins bulging around his eyes. "This is not good." he muttered in stunned silence as he spotted the swarm of Grimm heading towards the Academy. Looking to the skies, he saw several Dragon-like Grimm heading towards the Academy as the lookout towers burned right behind them.

His eyes widened as he looked to the top of the Largest Dragon Grimm in the middle and his eyes widened a bit. They then narrowed as he whispered silently, a grim expression on his face. _So you are here._

"Hey!"

A shout from below caused him to look down and see Ruby and Yang looking to him in confusion. "What the hell is happening?!" Yang asked, as Neji pursed his lips at them. He had seen them around the academy, students if he was certain.

From what Danzo had told them, they were allies, and besides, it seemed futile withholding information when the threat was right in front of them. He didn't really need to tell them about Naruto though. They knew nothing of him so it was pointless wasting time on needless things.

"A large swarm of Grimm are heading to our position." He said as he jumped down to their location looking around the city to note the chaos.

"Grimm?!" Yang looked in shock.

"We need to get to Weiss and Blake!" Ruby spoke out in alarm as the swarm began to get closer. The Grimm sped forth without exhaustion or hesitation. They had a goal, and it was to bring down the city.

Neji pursed his lip and nodded. "You do what you want to, I'm heading to locate my comrades."

And with that he jumped down, hoping to locate the rest before the Grimm made contact.

…

"Activate the barricades!" Professor Potts yelled out through the microphone which was connected to the defense outposts on the outskirts of the city. He looked at the video surveillance which were positioned in strategic areas in the forests surrounding the city. This was the Central defense tower, positioned in the CCTS Relay Tower.

He looked as the Grimm grew closer, destroying most of the cameras as they carved their way towards the city.

At the outskirts, the guards stationed there pulled on the levers and immediately, the earth began to tremble. The earth caved in as humongous metallic walls began to emerge from the earth tunneling upwards till it reached very high, almost blocking the city completely from view.

Potts nodded, they all activated successfully. This was going to buy them enough time against the lower tier Grimm, but considering the flying Grimm heading towards the academy, not as much as he thought. They needed to evacuate the people to safety.

"Prepare to fire." He muttered.

Multiple war crafts were launched into the air, and their bullets let loose against the incoming horde.

Ozpin, Glynda, Winter and Ironwood were seen outside the academy, heading towards a squad of Hunters positioned close to the wall.

Ironwood noted the hunters guiding most of the civilians to safety. "Do we know their target?" He asked noting a platoon positioned right ahead of them, waiting for their orders.

"Hoping Danzo has something for us." Ozpin muttered as the Captain drew his team's attention to their arrival. "I have a feeling this has something to do with him."

"Sir!" The Captain gave a respectful salute as the Hunters stood in attention.

"What's the progress?"

"We are getting the civilians to safety, the defensive walls are up and running but we have the Dragon Grimm heading towards the City, they can fly over the walls. The war crafts are engaging them now, but it seems futile."

"Yeah we should be able to take care of that."

"My drones are heading here. Might take a while so let's hope they aren't too late." Ironwood spoke as Ozpin looked around, noting the chaos taking form.

He looked to the captain of the unit. "Notify all the outposts, we are at war..."

…

Danzo looked forward to his escorts from Konoha. Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Tenten Neji, and finally Shikamaru. They were down on one knee, looking to the ground in subservience.

"So he is here." Danzo said. It was not a question, Neji had confirmed it for him already.

"Yes."

"Hmm."

"What do we do, Danzo-sama?" Hinata asked her with her head still bowed down.

"We need to take him out. I hope your past history with him doesn't come into play here."

"He never cared about it." Shino said. "He showed his teammates no mercy. We will respond in kind."

"Good." Danzo said. "No go and take care of this, before they manage to get him to talk."

The shinobi vanished from the spot as slight rumbles began to be felt around the area.

…

A Hunter on the walls screamed out in fury as he let loose a barrage of bullets from the Gatling gun positioned on the wall. The bullets pierced through the air at incredible speeds, tearing through the skin of the Grimm without restraint.

He was not alone. The other weapons positioned on the walls as a defensive measure were used to their optimal purpose. The Hunters holding rocket launchers let loose the projectiles towards the Grimm approaching from the air. Some connected, some didn't. But the strength of Grimm not only lay in their physical force, it laid in their numbers, and considering the horde that was threatening to rain hell down on them, the weapons was just delaying the inevitable.

"We need to take down the perpetrator!" Potts spoke from the top of the walls right next to Ozpin, Glynda, Winter and Ironwood. The attacks are just buying time. It's like four rise up to take one's place when one dies. Eventually they'll run us over!"

"The person over there." Ozpin said gesturing to the largest Grimm staying behind and watching from afar. "That's Uzumaki Naruto right?"

"That's what the sky drones picked up." Ironwood muttered. "The question is, what is his goal?"

Winter commented. "All we have to do is catch-"

"His goal is destruction, like all the Grimm. He can't escape his true nature."

Ozpin and the others turned to see Danzo looking to them with a blank expression. Ozpin hated that he couldn't get a read on the features of the man right behind them. He was not someone he was ever going to trust with his life.

"Where were you?"

"Gathering the necessary intel." Danzo muttered. "My team will handle Naruto, don't worry about that. Just focus on the enemy right before us."

"We need him captured."

"This is a matter of Konoha, we would deal with it as such."

"It was," Ozpin spoke, getting in Danzo's face. "Until, he decided to attack Vale." Danzo said nothing, looking to Ozpin with a blank gaze. "Besides," Ozpin continued, "I'm supposed to believe that the day will be saved, just like that?"

"Unlike your soldiers, I have a high amount of faith in mine."

"Look out!"

They looked up in alarm as multiple blasts of energy came raining down towards their area. They quickly dispersed, avoiding the simultaneous blasts that was certain to kill them. The other soldiers who were unlucky couldn't avoid it and were killed instantly. The weapons that were positioned within that area were destroyed completely. The walls were solid, holding strong.

They looked startled as the smoke cleared to reveal Cinder landing right ahead of them.

A hunter morphing a weapon from thin air attempted to stab her from behind only for Cinder to dodge and kick him away from the wall to the ground where he crashed, dying instantly. Noting a large amount of soldiers heading towards her from the other side she quickly placed her hands down to the metal wall and a blazing wall of fire emerged, blocking them from reaching her.

"Don't need distractions."

She muttered as she looked ahead to note the powerful individuals right ahead of her.

Their eyes all widened at the new person and immediately they took defensive stances.

"He is not alone, is he?" Ozpin pursed his lips. "I don't like this."

"Who are you?!" Ironwood asked with authority in his voice.

"Are you really hoping I'll answer that?" Cinder asked in amusement as a large energy circle emerged right before her. "Let's keep that a mystery!"

Winter immediately conjured a large ice shield before them as a large blast of fire emerged from Cinder, threatening to disintegrate them.

Danzo mused, "She has the advantage."

Ironwood scoffed, "You don't say. We being on this wall limits our movement, we are trapped."

Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "And she being here is an attempt to bring down the walls. We either need to draw her away from here, or defeat her."

"Would you really have time for that?" Cinder smirked. "They are here."

From the other side, Danzo turned to note the dragon Grimm flying right over them and his eyes narrowed as he noted what it was carrying within its claws.

"What the hell?" Ironwood looked with his eyes widened.

The Dragon Grimm had many lower class Grimm right within its claws, dropping them down to the inner part of the city.

"They are picking the Grimm and dropping them into the city!"

"Winter, Danzo, handle her." Ozpin ordered. "Ironwood, Glynda, come with me now!"

The Grimm had reached the walls colliding with it furiously like a rabid horde, and soon, the eastern region of the city was covered in black.

…

"Come on!" A man yelled to his wife as they headed towards their doors, apparently, hiding in their home did nothing to help.

Before they could reach the door, a Grimm crashed down from the roof, landing in front of them, causing the woman to scream out in fear.

"Get behind me!" The man yelled out as he looked for a weapon, only finding a knife within sight, and he grabbed it without hesitation.

The Grimm shook its head, trying to clear its head from the disorientation from being dropped from the skies. It staggered a bit before staying still, and slowly turning towards the couple.

It let out a growl as its teeth began to drool.

They were both terrified. But the man's face was one of resignation, he was willing to die for her.

"I love you." He said, tightening the grip on the knife. "Now run."

"Wha…"

"Run!"

The Grimm snarled and lunged, ready to take a large chunk off his neck when a powerful blast cleanly took his head off, stunning the family. The man looked in shock to see a girl a lot younger than him standing to the side her weapon aimed to the Grimm's position.

"Get to safety now!"

"Thank you!"

He didn't need to ask anything, right now was to go and hide till this nightmare was over.

"Come on!"

"What the hell is happening?!" Ruby looked with widened eyes as multiple Grimm crashed down to the city as the Dragon Grimm let out a screech, terrifying the citizens that were not evacuated yet.

"We need to get the others to safety!" Yang said, looking to the distance to note Weiss freezing a Grimm in place, before slicing through it.

A sword travelled through the air, piercing through a lot of Grimm before returning back to Pyrrha's grip. She had a bead of sweat running down her head as she noted her team dispatching the Grimm with ease. Although, this was not the problem. The problem was how long could they hold on, before they were worn out?

 _Argh!_

Yang looked to the sound of the pained grunt to see Ruby grabbing her head, and going down to her knees.

"Ruby!" She ran to her sister's side, looking to her in worry. "Are you alright?!"

Ruby grit her teeth as a burning sensation went through her head, it was like her head was trying to explode from within.

"Ruby!" Yang called out to her as the pain began to subside. Ruby's breaths began to calm, as she inhaled greedily.

 _What was that?!_

"Ruby…"

She blinked, looking to Yang who was blurry for a second, shaking her head, she sighed as the pain subsided.

"Y…Yang?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah…" Ruby said, unsure of what was happening. "Just had a slight headache."

Yang was worried, but let the matter drop. Besides, it didn't seem like Ruby had the answers.

"Okay then. Now," Yang looked out, "Let's save this kingdom."

…

Naruto looked from afar, an impassive expression visible on his face. He watched as the weapons and war crafts from the city rained bullets down to the Grimm that were creating a heap on the wall, as well as the rockets and projectiles that were directed to the Dragon Grimm.

He observed as one of the Dragon Grimm moved down, picking up some of the low class Grimm and flying till it was above the wall, before crossing over and dropping the Grimm on the inner part of the shield. Some were more successful than others, the unfortunate Grimm being blasted point blank by the rockets launchers and mortars positioned on the walls. The flames and smoke he saw brimming at various areas gave him the indication that The Grimm were causing as much chaos as possible.

At that moment, he felt nothing.

His nose twitched, and suddenly his eyes widened, and jumped away as a wide slash cleaved the Dragon's head off. Dashing to the forests beneath him, he was stunned, seeing a fast and powerful tunneling mass heading right for him.

Unable to maneuver out of the technique, his eyes widened as a Dragon Grimm not under his control flew till it was between him and the attack, taking the full brunt of the offensive move.

Not wasting the chance given, he stepped on the Grimm and dashed into the forest that was right beneath him, giving one last glance as the attack tore right through the Grimm. Kiba looked to Naruto who moved towards the earth. _Missed him!_

Naruto's knees bent inward as he landed on the earth, which caved a bit. Displaying a quick show of reflex, he moved to the left, avoiding a quick palm strike aimed for his head and grabbing the outstretched arm, he drew Neji closer, delivering a clothesline which sent him to the earth.

Sensing an energy signature, he quickly shifted his pupils to track an elongated shadow about to ensnare him and he placed his hands into his pouch, removing a flash bang and quickly threw it towards an unmoving Shikamaru.

Just as the Shadow made contact with his, the flashbang exploded before Shikamaru's eyes, which made him to simultaneously let go of the hold he had over Naruto.

Naruto grinned, seeing a huge swarm of carnivorous insects heading towards him, and after coating his fists with an incredible amount of pressured air, let them loose towards the horde, killing them instantly.

His eyes widened as he turned back, seeing multiple projectiles launched towards him from behind with exploding tags attached to them, and as soon as they were within range, they exploded, making the earth tremble beneath his feet.

A huge shockwave was the result as surrounding trees were blown apart by the destructive force of the attack. Smoke covered the results of the blast from view, as Shikamaru shook his head, clearing his vision.

Tenten looked ahead from the branch of the tree she was on. "Did it work?"

Hinata's byakugan was activated as she accessed the blast. She let out a frown. "No."

"Sorry." Naruto said, drawing their attention. The Earth Dome that had protected Neji shattered, and Neji quickly regrouped with his team. The smoke dispersed, showing Naruto looking to them, unharmed from the blast. He smirked, letting out a few chuckles. "I tend not to make things easy."

"We are familiar with you." Shikamaru said. "Still, doesn't hurt to try."

"You know, I never expected to meet you guys here." He shaking his head. "Wonder what happened to make Danzo lose his wit."

"Take a wild guess." Shikamaru said.

"Using those illusionary insects of yours to sneak towards me Shino," Naruto smirked, "almost got me."

Shino muttered. "We can try again."

"Hmm." He nodded absentmindedly.

"Why are you doing this, Naruto?" Hinata asked, to which Naruto shook his head in amusement.

"Does it matter now that your attempt to kill me didn't work? Cool teamwork by the way."

"Why Vale?" Shino asked.

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Besides, I'm sure Danzo has given his orders."

"What of Sakura and Sasuke?" Kiba asked, looking pissed. "Did they understand?"

"I…" Naruto frowned. He glanced to the earth briefly before looking to Shikamaru. "He is a snake, Shikamaru."

"Why then are you attacking Vale, if your beef is with us?"

"I have a mission to accomplish, and I have to think over whatever petty squabble I have with Konoha. Besides, you just attempted to kill me." Naruto said, clenching his fist. "You've made your intentions of this encounter, quite clear."

"I miss you, Naruto." Tenten said, letting out an exhale to which Naruto gave a wistful smile noting the bracelet around her wrist.

"The feeling's mutual, Tenten," Naruto scoffed, "Funny how things work out."

"Give up Naruto." Hinata said. "End this assault, let's not be forced to do what neither of us want. Come with us to Konoha."

"If only it was that simple."

"Well then." Neji stepped forward going into a stance. "Let's get this over with."

"You had the surprise factor earlier," Naruto said, his eyes glowing red, "don't think this will fare how you expect. Besides, I can't waste any time here."

"What the-" Hinata's eyes widened as the earth they were on exploded outward, splitting them up. Multiple Grimm emerged, and dashed after the six shinobi from Konoha.

Shikamaru was mid-air when a bipedal Grimm was seen right in front of him. His eyes were widened as it tracked its legs. With its muscles tensed, it drove its foot straight into his gut.

He gave a pained grunt as he was sent back and he continued until hit a large tree, which caused the wind to blast out from his lungs as he broke through it easily.

Shikamaru grit his teeth in pain as he came to a stop. He looked to his team to note a horde of Grimm quickly surrounding them. _He can manipulate such a large number of them?!_

He looked to Naruto who had not moved from his spot, observing them passively.

"You're all strong, top tier maybe." Naruto mused as he watched each of them kill the Grimm he sent after them, only for four more to take its place, always keeping them on their toes.

Neji grit his teeth after his Kaiten attack only for more Grimm to pounce upon him.

"But," Naruto smirked, "Our strength lies in numbers."

Tenten kept slashing wildly, in all directions, considering she was surrounded by the Grimm.

"I would've loved to stay and catch up, but," Naruto looked to the walls of Vale as a Dragon Grimm began to drop to his position, "I can't be delayed. I have a mission."

Naruto simply got on the Grimm as the swarm began to increase around his former teammates.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru yelled, as he saw Naruto fly away and towards Beacon. "Fuck!"

Danzo had sent them to their deaths, and it was just a matter of time.

…

Cinder ran to the sky on platforms conjured by her, in order to avoid the continuous wind blades that Danzo had sent after her.

Quickly seizing her vantage point, she sent a humongous blast of fire that emerged from her right palm and tunneled down, intending to burn them to crisp.

Winter quickly conjured an ice wall that blocked the blast, spider web of cracks appearing over the reflecting ice mirror. Multiple pure white beo-wolves shot out from the shield upwards towards Cinder who sped down, crafting a fire blade and tore through the Grimm like paper.

Danzo who had jumped to the skies, getting ready to intercept her, narrowed his eyes as she vanished completely. His pupils shifted all around till he removed a Kunai powered by the wind and sent it with incredible accuracy past Winter towards Cinder who had reappeared right behind her.

Cinder moved away from the strike but had to contend with Winter on hand to hand combat. Considering Winter had capitalized as soon as Cinder evaded the projectile, Cinder was on the defensive.

Cinder staggered back a bit deflecting multiple strikes by Winter to her vital regions. After Cinder shifted her head to the left evading a punch, she had to duck as Winter tried to use her elbow to give a swift strike to her head. Cinder, seeing that Winter was opened, smirked, and quickly conjured a blast of fire, ready to incinerate her to dust.

Her eyes widened as she had to head back, evading a deadly slash of wind that dug into the metallic walls of Vale. Cinder looked to Winter and Danzo with a frown.

"I'd say we work well together, do you agree, Miss. Winter?"

"We have yet to hit her even once." Winter said, "That's not good."

"We are wearing her out." Danzo said with a smirk. "We'd play the long game."

Cinder said nothing, she just stared ahead, to the two veterans, sizing them up.

This was not going to be easy.

…

Ruby Rose kept fighting through the Grimm that had managed to get into the city. Using her Crescent Rose she shot down a number of Grimm that were within her region. Only for her to look up in surprise as she saw more Dragon Grimm dropping to the earth in the distance, and she bit her lip in irritation.

"These guys wouldn't just end!"

"We need to find whatever caused this and stop it." Yang said, biting her lip, before looking to note Team JNPR fighting alongside them, "for all we know we could just be using buckets to stop the flow instead of shutting the tap entirely."

"A well placed analogy, miss."

The voice drew the attention of Team RWBY and JNPR. They looked with confused expressions at the man before them.

"Who are you?" Weiss asked already in a defensive position.

"Tyrian." He said, slowly walking towards Ruby Rose from a distance.

"And what are you doing here Tyrian?" Pyrrha asked, not liking the oppressive atmosphere around him. He was an enemy no doubt.

"I'm here to offer a solution. To shut the tap." He said earning their complete attention.

"You are with them aren't you," Jaune said with a frown, "You are part of the people attacking us!"

"We are here for one thing, and if you give it to us, we leave, we end this assault right now."

"And what is that?" Yang asked.

Tyrian just chuckled and pointed his finger, directing it past her. "Her."

Yang clenched her fist and turned to see Ruby looking stunned. The other looked confused but had their decision already made.

Tyrian looked to Ruby whose fingers began to tremble. He gave a sadistic grin. " **We are here for you, Ruby Rose.** "

Yang looked pissed, "Why?"

"For our nefarious purposes of course." Tyrian grinned, letting out a brief chuckle. "If you are not going to give her to me, I'll just kill you all till I get to her."

"Well then you can take her when I'm dead!"

"That's more like it!" Tyrian grinned and moved against them, heading for Ruby, who was startled at the ferocity he came towards her with.

As soon as Ruby stepped back in reflex, Pyrrha quickly moved to intercept, gritting her teeth at the pressure of the strike from his wrist blades. Her knees buckled under the pressure.

"Snap out of it Ruby!" Pyrrha said as Tyrian pulled back his right arm and sent her away with a kick. Using his wrist blades he quickly deflected multiple shots from Ren as Yang began to close up on him.

Ren stopped his assault as soon as Yang moved to engage in close quarters with him. Tyrian quickly evaded the punches and with a strike so fast, gave a roundhouse to Yang, who gasped out air as she was sent away.

Tyrian performed a backflip, evading an attack from Nora's hammer - which smashed down on the earth, creating a huge crater – and moved towards Ruby, intending on immobilizing her.

Ruby who had her Crescent Rose pulled out, began to fire multiple blasts towards Tyrian who quickly evaded the projectile as he moved towards her. His movement was fast, slick, not wasted, and his intentions made clear.

Tyrian jumped to the air to avoid multiple ice projectiles sent to his position by Weiss only to blink in surprise at the rope the coiled itself around his foot, immobilizing him mid-air. He looked with surprise to Blake, but didn't have enough time to dawdle as Ruby jumped towards him, her Crescent Rose drawn and ready to strike.

With a roar, she let loose a hail of bullets towards Tyrian, and after willing her weapon to morph, gave a strike to his midsection, sending him to the earth.

Ruby grit her teeth, noting him colliding with the earth. _His aura is hard to break!_

Tyrian quickly finding his feet, accessed the battle field in just a second and moved.

He quickly met Ren, avoiding his bullets and quickly got within close range to him. Ren's eyes widened as Tyrian by passed all his defenses and dug his fist into his gut.

The blow was so powerful, Ren hacked up a bit of blood as a shockwave was felt around the region. As wind and blood were blasted from his lungs, he was sent flying away till he collided with a wall, going straight into unconsciousness.

"Ren!" Nora yelled out at the quick way her teammate was dispatched. The others were given no time to dawdle as Tyrian quickly shifted his target sight and looked to Jaune, and a grin spread over his face.

"Now I haven't seen what you can do."

Jaune gulped. They had certainly swallowed more than they could handle.

…

The wind moved through the city as the Grimm laid their assault all over the Kingdom. Pillars of smoke were seen at every region as every Hunter, and student were engaged with the enemy.

Some were seen taking civilians to safety, at the cost of the live of their fellow Hunters.

A Dragon moved over the city and as soon as it was on the Beacon Tower, Naruto dropped down, observing all that was happening.

His expression was blank, not seemingly bothered with what was happening before his eyes.

He looked to the walls noting the Hunters stationed their directing their fire towards the approaching Grimm that didn't seem to end.

His nose twitched, and turned back to note Ozpin and Glynda right behind him.

"Is this what you wanted?" Ozpin asked as he took in Naruto's features. For the mastermind of such an attack, he was dressed so simply. A dark blue jacket with a hood was worn over a grey round necked shirt and black trousers.

Naruto looked to them, his eyes lingering on Ozpin. "The Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin. I guess we had to meet eventually."

"Why are you attacking my city?"

"Why? Why? Why?" Naruto shook his head, "that's a question everyone seems to ask."

"Have we done anything to provoke you?"

"No you have not. Unfortunate circumstances it seems, don't take this personally. It might as well be any of the other Kingdoms, you just weren't lucky."

"You come to my city and aim to destroy it and you tell me not to take it personally?"

"Is that a question? Besides, your hunters are quite good at defending themselves, don't you think so?"

"Surrender now." Glynda said, causing Naruto to arch an eyebrow in confusion.

"And why would I do that?"

"Whatever the outcome of this battle is," Glynda said, "You have just declared war against the world, Uzumaki Naruto. Is this because of Shimura Danzo?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "I guess he'd come tattling about me. Danzo is in a long list of people I have scores to settle with, but unfortunately, the reason for this attack is quite simple. I didn't aim on fighting every hunter in Vale, which could've happened had I come myself. I just needed to keep them occupied."

"To what aim."

"I'm here for someone," Naruto said, as the edges of his lips twitched up a bit.

"And who is that?"

Naruto stared forward to the two fighters before him. He needed to get to Ruby, especially now that Tyrian had engaged them, he was honestly worried that he was going to go insane and kill them all.

"I have to go." Naruto said, prompting a frown from Ozpin, whose expression was shadowed.

Multiple Grimm began to creep up from the ground between Naruto and them.

"I know that you would love to capture me, but time is of-"

In a swift move that Naruto almost didn't see coming, Ozpin quickly removed his staff and went for a strike causing Naruto to harden his arm and place it in defense.

The Grimm that had begun to rise up were decapitated and began to disintegrate. Ozpin looked to the white bone that now became Naruto's arm, and looked to Naruto who looked stunned at the fierce expression the Headmaster had on his face.

"You are not going anywhere."

The edges of Naruto's lips twitched up. "As expected from the Headmaster."

Using his strength, Naruto sent Ozpin away towards a wall, only for Ozpin to use it as a foot stand to blast forward towards Naruto at incredible speeds untraceable by the human eye. The wall Ozpin used caved in and was destroyed as Ozpin clashed with Naruto again; a shockwave emerging from the collision.

The earth Naruto was on caved in due to Ozpin's offensive attack. Sensing movement, he quickly looked to the side seeing Glynda with a rune circle before her.

An incredible blast of fire emerged, heading towards Naruto who was rooted in his position, using his free hand, he clenched his fist towards the incoming flames, depriving the flames of the much needed oxygen, causing them to go out in a wisp. Unclenching his fist, he let loose a windstorm towards Glynda, and as a bone jutted out from his hand, he attempted to send it through Ozpin only for a spherical shield to emerge around the Headmaster, protecting him.

Ozpin used Naruto's puzzled expression to land and use the tip of his staff, aiming for his vital organs. In a quick show of speed that looked like Naruto had phased through the attacks, he appeared right beside Ozpin who was exposed and gave a right hook to his face, causing the headmaster to fly back a couple distances.

Immediately a black wall emerged from the earth right behind him, blocking a hail of sharp ice projectiles from trying to harm him. The wall seemingly absorbed the attack and to Glynda's surprise, Naruto placed his hand through the wall sending the attack back, with an intensity that doubled the initial attack.

Using her semblance, Glynda negated the attack before it reached her, causing it to dissipate to tiny particles as they vanished from view.

Naruto was occupied by Ozpin, who was very fast, quite nimble on his feet. He mounted offensives upon offensives, aiming to drive Naruto into a corner. Naruto's pupils darted left and right, tracking the headmaster who emerged from all sides.

Naruto noted Ozpin's movements noting that he was getting predictable and grinned as soon as he deflected a strike from Ozpin, and turned, catching Ozpin as soon as he landed.

Ozpin grunted as Naruto's foot dug itself into his gut, almost causing him to bend in half. The kick sent him rolling across the concrete and Naruto quickly moved towards Glynda who was stunned at the new attention Naruto gave her.

Considering she wasn't great at hand to hand she conjured up a shield in an attempt to make the battle more long ranged. She was stunned to find Naruto right within her inner space as soon as the shield came up a smirk on his face.

Next thing she saw was darkness as Naruto gave a pressured wind blast point blank which sent her away from the region crashing through the windows into a building adjacent to the Academy.

Naruto just turned and enclosed his fist around the staff that Ozpin attempted to use to strike him with, a dark glow visible around his hands. A sadistic smirk emerged from Naruto's face as lightning sparks emerged from his palms, causing Ozpin to grit his teeth.

What followed was a catatonic dose of lightning channeled from Naruto's palms through the staff, directed to Ozpin who blacked out at the voltage his body was introduced to. His body shook at the attack that didn't seem to end, Naruto intending on ending the battle as soon as possible.

"Tell me something, Headmaster Ozpin." Naruto whispered, as he ceased his attack, Ozpin filled with spasms, his hands still on the staff. "Why all the effort, when you know… this is how it ends, eh?"

"Y…You would n…never get…" Ozpin grit his teeth in anger as he went into unconsciousness.

Naruto let go of the staff, letting Ozpin drop to the concrete. He looked to the distance, as the commotion around the city took place.

He closed his eyes, taking in the smell of smoke and ash, and for a moment all was quiet.

…

Tyrian inhaled and exhaled softly, a grin emerging from his lips as he overlooked the defeated Teams of RWBY and JNPR. They stood no chance, kids having delusions about the lives of Hunters and Huntresses.

He looked to Ruby's form on the earth and seemed giddy. "My queen will be so pleased! I have singlehandedly delivered the silver eyed human to her!" He laughed maniacally, slowly walking towards Ruby's prone form.

Reaching her position, he bent his knees, moving closer to her level. Before he could touch her, he was interrupted.

"Keep your hands of her."

Tyrian rolled his eyes and moved his gaze to see Yang looking at him, rage in her eyes.

"You are boring you know. He asked me not to kill you guys, but you are testing my patience. Stay down like the dog you are, or die."

At this moment, Tyrian was not joking, the killing intent was visibly seen in his eyes, a look that shook Yang down to her core, but she persevered, because it was for Ruby.

She looked to him, her fist clenched and read to engage.

"I told you," she said, the conviction visible on her face. "You can take her over my dead body."

"With your current strength there is nothing you can do." He said, standing up and facing her, not noticing Yang's hand flickering red. To him, there was nothing she could do, there was no power she could conjure to help her case. He gave Naruto leeway considering their lives, because he knew the orders to capture Ruby came from Salem herself.

But he never said anything about them persisting. _Besides…_ He grinned, letting an eerie chuckle out as Yang bared her teeth, her expression hidden. _The goddess said, Any means necessary!_

Within the blink of an eye Tyrian vanished from view and prepared to run his wrist blades through Yang, only to be shocked as he hit air, Yang vanishing from view.

"What the-"

Feeling a deep pulse of air right beside him, he seethed and turned swiftly, only for his face to be greeted by a vicious punch by Yang which sent him flying away from the region.

Yang looked to Tyrian, her eyes blazing red.

Tyrian who was about to crash into a pillar, quickly regained his bearings. His wrist blades dug into the structure, using it as a support. He looked with a snarl, as he saw Yang standing before Ruby, looking to him fiercely, no doubt on her features.

"As I said…" Yang said, only to move her head sideways as Tyrian's fist, attempted to take her head off with his blades. She looked to the blades, which had cut a couple of strands of her hair, in that moment, her pupils looked to Tyrians only to see bloodlust, and that made her scared of her life at that very moment, but again, knowing that this kind of man was after her sister made her strengthen her resolve.

Tyrian attempted a round house kick, only for Yang to block it, the earth caving in at the collision. She held on to his leg, using it to fling him away, and she sped off after him, not intending to give him a chance to regroup.

…

The faint sounds of collision were heard, and Pyrrha's face squinted, as she looked to the skies. For a moment, she wondered where she was, her memory was a bit vague, but as soon as she saw a Dragon Grimm fly through the skies she regained her bearings, and a migraine tore through her head.

It was then she remembered the battle she was engaged in. The enemy was too fast, all she saw was a blur and she saw darkness. She clenched her fist, was she that weak?

Her eyes widened as the sounds of collision reverberated through the region, and she looked to note Yang engaging toe to toe with Tyrian.

Pyrrha looked to note the rest of her teammates unconscious, from Tyrian's assault and she pursed her lips observing their movements. The part that made her to worry was that Tyrian had not yet revealed his semblance yet, whatever it was. He was able to fight and dispatch them quite easily on his base form.

And that was what scared her.

So the key thing was to stop him from ever increasing his power, by defeating him before he could activate his semblance.

She had one shot, now that Tyrian's attention was drawn from her. She had to make it count.

The sounds of grunting caused her to look in surprise to see Nora and Ruby coming to.

"Pyrrha?"

"Glad to see you're still in the fight, Nora. Hey Ruby."

Ruby used her Crescent Rose and looked around to note their teammates. "Are they…"

"Don't worry, they are okay." Pyrrha said.

"He's very strong." Ruby said feeling guilty, "He was after me. Maybe if I would've-"

"Hey…" Nora flicked Ruby's head, "snap out of it. Besides, it would take more than that to put me down. Yang's holding him in place."

"She's really cool." Ruby said with a smile, observing the fight from the distance.

"But she wouldn't be able to hold him off any longer." Pyrrha observed. "Nora, I need your speed, to catch him unawares. Yang is currently engaging him I need you to be ready. As soon as he makes a mistake, we strike, you will direct him to my position. We cannot face him head on like the last time, we would lose. Yan can only keep up with him due to her speed. As soon as she weakens, he would take advantage."

"No biggie." Nora bit her lip and looked to Tyrian who was beginning to get the better of Yang.

"Ruby, I need you to distort his sense of smell as soon as Nora is done with her part." Pyrrha said, "He keeps sensing us before we can strike, that makes it very hard to catch him by surprise, I'm sure we can only surprise him once, now that Yang has occupied his time. I need you to do it so we can get a finishing blow."

Ruby nodded her head. "Got it."

Nora looked to the distance as Ruby readied her lightning crystal to fire at Nora. "And if it doesn't work?" She asked, holding her hammer in place.

Pyrrha looked to Tyrian, her gaze steeled in determination, "I'll make sure it will."

…

Yang rolled across the earth as she evaded a strike from Tyrian that was certain to injure her fatally. She was getting weaker, and she knew it. Tyrian was keeping up with her, and seemed to be aware of the fact.

This just showed her how far the strength gap was between them. Honestly she was certain that she would have passed out a long while ago, but one thing kept reverberating in her mind, one thing kept pushing her past her limits.

Ruby.

Yang quickly evaded quick and decisive strikes from Tyrian, she tried to move only to find her back against a wall. Gritting her teeth in irritation she clumsily dropped to the ground, evading a fatal strike from Tyrian which dug into the wall.

Noting that the enemy's hand was still lodged in the wall, Yang quickly capitalized and channeled all her aura to her right arm, and with a roar, gave a bone shattering strike to his midsection which caused Tyrian to grunt in pain.

He was not expecting this turn of events.

Yang roared as sparks of red coated her right arm, sending Tyrian flying away to the distance, and as if filled with a fresh burst of energy, darted after him.

Tyrian snarled as he bounced on the earth, kissing it a couple of times as he rolled to a stop. He gave a growl and looked ahead only for his eyes to catch a blazing red fist a few millimeters away from his face.

He gritted his teeth in rage as it connected, and was about to fly away only for Yang to hold him in place with her other hand. With an intense vigor, Yang kept punching and punching Tyrian's face, not even giving him time to mount a counter offense.

Unknown to her, her power levels even began to swell. It was like she had tapped into a burst of energy, and her entire body was blazing fire as she mounted punch after punch on Tyrian.

Tyrian was befuddled, wondering where this strength came from while he was the recipient of multiple strikes. With a thundering roar, Yang punched Tyrian's face into the concrete ground, which caused it to cave in considerably at the strength of the attack.

Yang looked on in a haze, her mind completely consumed with power. Grabbing Tyrian's leg, she roared as she sent him through a pillar in the far distance, and Tyrian came crashing down. She looked ahead and noted a white streak of light heading after him.

 _Is that…_

For a moment, Tyrian was actually worried and before he could think, he turned his head mid-air and saw Nora consumed in lightning. She was looking to him with a grin and hammer in tow.

"Hi!"

"You bit-"

With a skull crushing strike, Nora, sent him to the earth to which he collided violently, a huge shockwave emerging from the collision. The earth caved in, a huge spider-web of cracks spreading from Tyrians position was observed from above.

Tyrian whose vision was in a haze got up groggily, and courtesy from Ruby a dust exploded before his eyes, blinding his field of view and the noxious smell, caused him to snarl in discomfort.

He quickly jumped away from the smokescreen and tried to clear his vision only to catch a flash of gold and he leaned backwards, avoiding a shield thrown to his position, his blurred his vision tried to track the shield only to blink as it stopped right before him. He looked puzzled only for his eyes to catch something blinking right underneath the shield.

Looking to it was a mistake as the flashbang went off, causing him to roar out in discomfort and use his hand to cover his eyes, which was done in reflex despite the fact that it was too late.

With his sense of smell and sight impeded at the moment, Tyrian cursed and began to cough out blood, his other hand going to cover his mouth.

 _What did that bitch shoot me with?!_

Pyrrha who was within range willed her shield back and emerged in front of him with a roll, stabbing into his heart with her sword, plunging it to the hilt.

…

The sounds of alarm blared on and off as the hunters were seen on the streets, fighting the endless horde of Grimm that didn't seem to end. Some hunters died, the others being witnesses to their death.

Vale was going to fall if a miracle did not occur. The command tower was in flames, the CCTS tower was seen in the distance, crashing to the earth, the sounds echoing over miles.

As it crashed, Naruto walked slowly forward, not even giving heed while the Hunters took the crash as a sign of despair.

They were officially cut off from the world.

The gunners on the fence fired with hopelessness in their eyes, not wanting to admit defeat even though it was imminent. Cinder Fall panted, staring forward to Winter and Danzo, who were not in great shape also.

Tyrian looked stunned, staring forward to Pyrrha who looked to his eyes in conviction, never wavering as his bloodied lips trembled. Nora, Yang and Ruby stared forward in silence, feeling a huge weight off their shoulders.

"Y…You… fucking…." Tyrian panted, "You… fucking… kids."

That was the most baffling thing to his mind. That these kids, students, were able to fatally injure him like that. Someone the goddess prided herself in, her soldier, was fatally injured, by a bunch of kids.

Pyrrha removed her sword, watching as blood flowed down his chest. Tyrian dropped to his knees clutching his chest. Pyrrha pointed her sword to his head.

"You have been defeated." She declared.

"She did it." Nora said with a sigh and began to walk towards Pyrrha leaving Ruby and Yang.

Yang smiled at the scene as her vision began to blur. "Good."

She dropped to the floor as Ruby put her hand, stopping Yang from reaching the floor. "Yang!"

"I'm okay Ruby." Yang said as Ruby set her down to sit on the earth, while looking to her with a worried gaze. "I'm just tired."

Ruby's lips quivered as her eyes began to gloss over. "Thank you."

"What are sisters for?" Yang chuckled as Ruby enveloped her in a hug.

"Thank you."

Yang gave a smile; she had done her part.

She had protected Ruby, and she began to fall slowly into unconsciousness.

Tyrian looked stunned to the distance while he was on his knees. He was a disappointment. A huge disappointment. He had disappointed his queen.

He… had disappointed Salem.

Before Pyrrha could think, a slash from a scorpion's tail sent her flying and crashing into an untouched building sending her straight into unconsciousness.

"What the-" Nora looked in shock. "Pyrrha!"

Before she could blink, the tail went through her midsection, coming out of the other side, bathed in blood. Nora looked to note Tyrian right in front of her, closing the distance between them in a hurry. She looked to his eyes to note it blazing red, similar to that of the Grimm.

Tyrian, not even giving her a glance, flung her away.

"What the hell?!" Ruby looked horrified, grabbing her crescent rose. "Nora!"

"I tried it the easy way," Tyrian said with a snarl, black miasma enveloping his body. "I gave you a chance. Come to think of it, why does the queen need you for?" He began chuckle as he looked more demented than usual. There was no reasoning now.

"You are a threat." He grinned. "And you will die!"

Ruby looked with widened eyes as the scorpion drew blood before her eyes.

Tyrian had sent a very deep slash across her chest, only for it to be intercepted by a weary Yang.

"No!" Ruby screamed out in horror. "Yang!"

Ruby watched as Yang dropped before her, her body unmoving.

"She was always a pest." Tyrian spoke snidely. And swung his tail towards Ruby, only to be shocked as he was blasted away by a flash of white light which began to turn the surroundings to ice.

Tyrian rolled across the floor only to look up in awe to note Ruby covered in complete white energy, ethereal wings emerging from her.

He seethed. "So this is why… Salem wants you. This is why, you are a threat. The world will look in wonder, as Red meets Silver!" Tyrian exclaimed, laughing maniacally.

"You…" Ruby spoke simply, her glowing white eyes looking apathetic. "You… killed… Yang."

Before Tyrian could blink, a searing hot blast went through his gut in a speed he couldn't counter; Ruby appearing right behind him in an instant.

"Yang."

Ruby materialized right before her sister - paying no attention to a writhing and screaming Tyrian in the background - staring down in shock. Her breaths began to increase, her fist clenching painfully. She grit her teeth, roaring out.

"Yaaaaaaang!"

What happened next was nothing short of extraordinary. A wide flash of light encompassing the entire city emerged from Ruby and it spread till it covered it in a dome.

"What the hell?" Winter looked puzzled looking around in stunned silence. "What is happening?" She looked to Cinder. "What have you done?"

"Watch." Danzo said, gesturing to the Grimm which were enveloped by the light.

Suddenly, the Grimm began to glow, and disintegrate into white particles of light. And Cinder using the confusion as a cover, disappeared from view.

Winter attempted to pursue only for Danzo to stop her. "Wait, I don't think things went along to plan for them."

Naruto stared to his hands watching a white glow encompass it and he clenched his fist and a blast of red erased the light from his body.

"I see." He muttered, as his expression was hidden beneath his hair. A slight distance from the epicenter of the blast, was Tyrian coughing out in pain.

"Tyrian."

"Y…You." Tyrian spoke out while lying on his back, his skin began to take a black tint. Naruto went down to his position observing the region. "You failed, Tyrian."

"Look at her." Tyrian spoke out, gesturing to Ruby's unconscious frame in the distance. "You… You can take her to… the queen."

"I've always wondered what prompted your unquestionable loyalty to Salem." Naruto spoke, looking to the skies. "It was then that Salem explained your situation in a way. She told me that there were Grimm who possessed humans at an old age, unlike the natural which possess them when they are infants."

"I…" Tyrian made out only to be interrupted.

"She said, that in cases like that, the host will not get accustomed to the new tenant, and psychological issues may occur, I figured your behavior was just a quirk, but as it turns out it was not." Naruto shook his head. "You were experimented upon, weren't you, Tyrian."

Tyrian looked in anger clenching his fist in pain.

"I did my research on you, and I found out about it all." Naruto sat down right next to him. "They hated what they had created; an unstable, uncontrollable monster, and they tied you up, found a way to restrain you, never feeding you, not even caring to check up on what they had locked up in the closet."

Naruto smiled mirthlessly. "Humans can be quite vicious eh?"

"S…Salem s…aved-"

"I know." Naruto said. "In a way we were kindred spirits. You just didn't know it. We all share that pain, some more than others but it's there. And I would have felt for you, I would have mourned you, if you all hadn't killed my parents."

Tyrian's eyes slowly widened in realization. "Y…You knew."

"I've always known." Naruto looked to Tyrian apathetically. "My parents told me they were going to face the Class VI Grimm the last time I ever heard from them. And Salem told me, we were the only ones left in the world. It's quite simple to put two and two together, isn't it?"

"You… w…want revenge?"

"Yes." Naruto said simply, "I once fooled myself into thinking that I was over it, but it was just because I couldn't put a face to the group of people who killed them. Fortunately for me, it all ties up with my goal."

"And what is that?" Tyrian said with spite.

Naruto just chuckled placing his left palm to Tyrian's chest just right above the gaping hole Ruby left in him. "It's no use talking to a dead man is it?"

"No… No… NO!"

Naruto stood up and walked to the epicenter of the blast, seeing Ruby lying on the earth, unconscious while cradling her sister's body. Tyrian gasped as his body began to disintegrate to nothingness.

"Hmm. Interesting." He bent his knees, moving down to her position. "Hey there Ruby."

Ruby's body shifted and she stared towards the voice that called out to her. From her expression, it was clear she was subconscious.

"N..Naru…to?" she muttered out.

Naruto trailed his right index finger across her cheek, sparks of silver and red emerging from the contact.

"Fascinating." He spoke out. "Just look at what you've done Ruby…" He observed the Grimm dissipating into nothingness. "Such… power." He looked to her. "Salem wants you, probably to harness your power."

Naruto looked in thought, as he observed Ruby's pained expression.

"You've been through way too much today." He smiled at her as his hands began to take a black glow. "Come and find me Ruby. I'll be waiting for you."

The glow began to envelope Ruby's form entirely and disappeared into the ground, taking Ruby with it. He looked to Yang, a twinge of pain on his features. "I'm sorry."

His nose twitched and almost simultaneously, Cinder came into view.

"Where is she?" Cinder asked, to which Naruto stayed silent, looking to the distance to note Tyrian's remains.

"It seems Tyrian's failed." Naruto observed, a hidden smirk emerging on his face. He turned and looked to Cinder, a stoic expression on his face. "She's gone."

Cinder looked to Tyrian's degrading form in the distance.

"Salem will not like that."

Naruto began to walk away as Cinder willed Tyrian's body to incinerate to ashes. "No, she wouldn't."

The battle was won, but the war was lost.

…

 **Holy Cow! And that's it for the first part of this series. I'm so sorry for the long delay but I have been offline for quite a while due to me being on my final semester in Pharmacy School. Projects and trips and lots of work has kept me busy, but I used the spare time I had to draft this chapter. I honestly would admit this was not easy considering the length but I feel I owed it to finish this first part of the trilogy.**

 **I initially intended to split this chapter into two but I figured it was better in its condensed format.**

 **THE NEXT PART IN THE SERIES IS: Remnant: Red and Silver.**

 **And considering examinations would be done by the 20** **th** **of October I unfortunately wouldn't be updating any story till then. I'm sure most of you might have forgotten the story but the great thing is that you can quickly recap to remember it.**

 **Thanks for your support, and how did you think this finale went?**

 **REVIEW!**


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